"BLACK HAWK DOWN"
Screenplay by
Ken Nolan
Based on the book by Mark Bowden
Copyright © 2002
by Revolution Studios
Revolution Studios;
Scott Free Productions;
Jerry Bruckheimer Films
Shooting Script, 2001
FADE IN:
SUPER: BASED ON AN ACTUAL EVENT
SUPER: ALL OUR IGNORANCE BRINGS US NEARER TO DEATH. T.S.
ELLIOT
1
EXT. DESERT - DAY
1
A Somalian man hunches over a body wrapped in a sheet and
covers the dead man's face.
SUPER: SOMALIA 1992
The images of a lonely truck driving through ravaged
countryside, bodies everywhere.
SUPER: YEARS OF WARFARE AMONG RIVAL CLANS CAUSES FAMINE ON A
BIBLICAL SCALE.
We now see that the truck is from the Red Cross as it moves
through the ruins of a bombed and burned village. Past bodies -some dead, some alive. No sound but the wind. Nothing else
moves across scorched earth.
SUPER: 300,000 CIVILIANS DIE OF STARVATION.
SUPER: MOHAMED FARRAH AIDID, THE MOST POWERFUL OF THE
WARLORDS, RULES THE CAPITAL MOGADISHU.
A body wrapped in a sheet is carried away.
SUPER: HE SEIZES INTERNATIONAL FOOD SHIPMENTS AT THE PORTS.
HUNGER IS HIS WEAPON.
SUPER: THE WORLD RESPONDS. BEHIND A FORCE OF 20,000 U.S.
MARINES, FOOD IS DELIVERED AND ORDER IS RESTORED.
A U.N. Peacekeeper helps a wearied man drink.
SUPER: APRIL 1993
SUPER: AIDID WAITS UNTIL THE MARINES WITHDRAW, AND THEN
DECLARES WAR ON THE U.N. PEACEKEEPERS.
The Peacekeeper walks past the bodies of dead children.
SUPER
IN JUNE, AIDID'S MILITIA AMBUSH AND SLAUGHTER 24 PAKISTANI
SOLDIERS, AND BEGIN TARGETING AMERICAN PERSONNEL.
Lifeless refugees are drawn to the aid station.
SUPER: IN LATE AUGUST, A COMPANY OF AMERICA'S ELITE SOLDIERS,
DELTA FORCE AND ARMY RANGERS, ARE SENT TO MOGADISHU TO REMOVE
AIDID AND RESTORE ORDER.
(CONTINUED)
2.
1
CONTINUED:
1
Looking out at the smoldering, wind-whipped village from
inside a bomb-ravaged house.
TITLE: BLACK HAWK DOWN
2
EXT. HIGH ABOVE MOGADISHU - DAY
2
The first rays of sunshine hit us -- and a BLACK HAWK
HELICOPTER thunders over the arid Somali landscape.
SUPER: SATURDAY - OCTOBER 2, 1993
3
INT. BLACK HAWK HELICOPTER - SAME
3
A handsome Ranger, SERGEANT MATT EVERSMANN, surveys the
village below.
4
EXT. HIGH ABOVE MOGADISHU - SAME
4
A make-shift camp surrounding a bombed-out building on a
hilltop bustles with energy.
SUPER: RED CROSS FOOD DISTRIBUTION CENTER
EXT. MOGADISHU STREETS - CONT.
Several "Technicals", old Toyota trucks with heavy machine
gun bolted in back, ROAR through the village.
Starving residents swarm a five-ton Red Cross transport truck
loaded with food as the Black Hawk floats slowly past.
The scene turns chaotic: villagers shake the truck; Somali
soldiers beat them back with sticks; ten-pound sacks of wheat
spill onto the ground; hordes of stick-thin villagers struggle
to grab the sacks.
A Somali GUNMAN OPENS FIRE on the mob. Blood splatters as a
few get hit. Screams. Panic. People scatter.
5
INT. DURANT'S SUPER SIX FOUR BLACK HAWK - SAME
MATT EVERSMANN jolts from the sight of the bloodbath. Whips
inside to the other RANGERS in the Black Hawk's belly.
EVERSMANN
Oh shit, did you see that?
(into headset)
Chief, we got unarmed civilians
getting shot down here at nine
o'clock!
(CONTINUED)
5
3.
5
CONTINUED:
5
Durant surveys the scene below, then calmly speaks into his
headset.
DURANT
I got it Matt, I don't think we can
touch this.
Heavily armed Militiamen train weapons on the populace. One
shouts into a megaphone:
MILITIA MAN
(in Somali, subtitled)
This food is the property of Mohammed
Farrah Aidid! Go back to your homes!
Durant's Black Hawk circles the village.
DURANT
Command, Super Six Four we got militia
shooting unarmed civilians down at
the food distribution center. Request
permission to engage.
MATTHEWS (V.O.)
Super Six Four, are you taking fire,
over?
Somali Militia men flee into the crowd as Delta sniper SGT.
DAN BUSCH trains his AR-15 rifle on the gunmen below.
DURANT
Negative, Command.
MATTHEWS (V.O.)
U.N.'s jurisdiction, Six Four. We
can't intervene. Return to base.
Over.
DURANT
(frustrated)
Roger. Six Four returning.
Durant continues the chopper away from the village.
ON EVERSMANN - staring down at the carnage-strewn streets
below. He can't believe it.
BELOW - The militia man aims his megaphone at the Black Hawk
as though he's firing a gun at it.
6
EXT. HIGH OVER NORTH MOGADISHU - DAY
SUPER: NORTH MOGADISHU BAKARA MARKET AIDID CONTROLLED
TERRITORY
6
4.
7
EXT. MOGADISHU MARKET - DAY
7
The market bustles with activity. Militia men stroll the
streets, automatic rifles strapped across their backs.
HOOT slinks through the crowd, following a Somali DRIVER.
8
INT. MOGADISHU MARKET - CONTINUOUS
8
OSMAN ATTO, a wealthy Somali businessman, reads a USA Today
as he eats. The driver approaches.
DRIVER
(subtitled)
Ready, Mr. Atto.
9
EXT. MOGADISHU MARKET - MOMENTS LATER
9
The driver leads Atto to the waiting car. Hoot watches, speaks
into a microphone in his collar.
HOOT
Leaving.
Atto gets in his car and leaves.
10
EXT. HIGH OVER NORTH MOGADISHU - DAY
10
Atto's caravan speeds through the dusty streets.
11
EXT. HIGH OVER THE DESERT - LATER
11
Several Black Hawk Helicopters track the caravan out of town.
12
INT. ATTO'S CAR
12
Atto smokes a cigar in the back seat, talks on his cell phone.
A Black Hawk Helicopter appears out the truck's window, flying
beside them.
DRIVER
(subtitled)
Sir!
Atto looks out the window at the Black Hawk.
ATTO
(subtitled)
Keep driving.
(CONTINUED)
5.
12
CONTINUED:
12
A Ranger fires at the hood of Atto's car, spraying oil all
over the windshield.
An MH-6 Little Bird, a transport chopper with two outside
benches, lands in front of the caravan, forcing them to stop.
Rangers surround Atto's vehicle and tap on the glass.
ATTO
(calmly into phone,
subtitled)
I'm going to be late. Call you back.
13
INT. INTERROGATION ROOM
13
Silence. The room is dark, except for the dusty yellow streaks
cast from the window.
Atto sits at a table as GENERAL GARRISON enters and sets a
cup opposite him. Garrison wears khaki shorts and T-shirt
and dons sunglasses in the poorly lit room. He's laconic.
Steady.
Atto offers Garrison a cigar.
GARRISON
No, no thanks. I've got one.
ATTO
These are Cuban. Bolivar. Bellicoso.
Garrison holds up his own cigar.
GARRISON
(unimpressed, simply)
So's this.
ATTO
(laughs)
Miami, my friend, is not Cuba...
Garrison simply stares out the window. Atto lights his cigar,
regards it for a moment.
ATTO
I see not catching Aidid is becoming
a routine.
GARRISON
We weren't trying to catch Aidid, we
were trying to catch you.
ATTO
Me?
(laughs)
But am I that important? I hardly
think so.
(CONTINUED)
6.
13
CONTINUED:
13
GARRISON
You're just a business man.
ATTO
Trying to make a living.
Garrison finally takes a seat opposite Atto.
GARRISON
Selling guns to Aidid's militia.
ATTO
(a beat, gravely)
You've been here what, six weeks?
Six weeks you are trying to catch
the General. You put up your wanted
posters. $25,000... what is this,
gunfight at the K.O. corral?
GARRISON
(laughs)
It's ah, it's the O.K. Corral.
ATTO
Do you think bringing me in will
make him suddenly come to you? Make
him more agreeable? Hmm?
GARRISON
(simply)
You know where he sleeps. You pay
for his beds, much less his militia.
(the bottom line)
We're not leaving Somalia until we
find him. And we will find him.
ATTO
(immediately)
Don't make the mistake of thinking
because I grew up without running
water I'm simple, General. I do know
something about history. See all
this? It's simply shaping tomorrow -a tomorrow without a lot of Arkansas
white-boy's ideas in it.
GARRISON
Well, I wouldn't know about that,
I'm from Texas.
(CONTINUED)
7.
13
CONTINUED: (2)
13
ATTO
Mr. Garrison, I think you shouldn't
have come here. This is civil war.
This is our war, not yours.
GARRISON
(finally rips off his
sunglasses)
300,000 dead and counting. That's
not a war, Mr. Atto, that's genocide.
Now you enjoy that tea, you hear?
Garrison exits swiftly past two U.S. Marine guards.
14
INT. HELICOPTER HANGAR - CONTINUOUS
14
Garrison strides through the hangar, past helicopters.
GARRISON
How'd he strike you?
JOE CRIBBS, a tall, lean man a few years younger than
Garrison, falls into step beside the General.
CRIBBS
Urbane, sophisticated. Cruel.
GARRISON
Yeah, he's a good catch.
(they stop)
It'll take some time, but Aidid'll
feel the loss.
CRIBBS
I'm not sure time is something we've
got in great supply.
GARRISON
This isn't Iraq, you know. It's more
complicated than that.
Garrison starts away. Cribbs trails him.
CRIBBS
Boss, most of Washington might
disagree. I'm just saying, they've
been calling for these dang situation
reports every morning this week.
GARRISON
(slips the sunglasses
back on)
Well, tell 'em the situation is ah,
fragile.
(CONTINUED)
8.
14
CONTINUED:
14
And with that Garrison exits a door into BLINDING SUNLIGHT.
15
EXT. MOGADISHU AIPORT - DAY
15
SUPER: MOGADISHU AIRPORT U.S. ARMY HEADQUARTERS
16
INT. BLACK HAWK SUPER SIX ONE - DAY
16
Black Hawk pilot CLIFF "ELVIS" WOLCOTT addresses his Ranger
passengers as he prepares for take-off.
WOLCOTT
Well ladies and gentlemen, my name
is Cliff "Elvis" Wolcott. I'll be
your pilot this afternoon. Federal
regulations has designated this is a
non-smoking Black Hawk helicopter.
For those of you enrolled in our
Mogadishu frequent flyer program,
you'll be earning a hundred free
credits this afternoon, and as always,
the air sickness bags are located in
the seat back in front of you.
BRILEY
Number one indications are good,
Cliff.
ELVIS
You got it.
BRILEY
Clear on two.
RANGER
And you're still clear at one.
The Black Hawk takes off into the blaring sun.
INTERCUT BETWEEN BLACK HAWK SUPER SIX ONE AND DURANT'S BLACK
HAWK as they skirt the coastline.
DURANT
Six One, this is Six Four. Go to UHF
secure. I've got some bad news.
WOLCOTT
Limo's a word Durant, I don't want
to hear about it.
DURANT
It is not a word, it's an abbreviation
of a word.
(CONTINUED)
9.
16
CONTINUED:
16
WOLCOTT
Limo is a word in common usage. That
is the key phrase in Scrabble, my
good friend. Common usage.
DURANT
No! If it is not in the dictionary,
it doesn't count.
WOLCOTT
It doesn't have to be in the
dictionary!
DURANT
It does have to be in the dictionary!
WOLCOTT
They don't say limousine, they say
limo!
DURANT
Listen, when we get back to the base,
it's coming off the board.
Durant and Elvis rubber-neck as they pass each other, flying
opposite directions.
WOLCOTT
You touch my limo and I'll spank
you, night stalker, you hear me?
DURANT
Yeah, promises.
OTHIC
That's a nice beach down there. How's
the water?
DURANT
Yeah, it's nice and warm. It's loaded
with sharks.
17
INT. OFFICE - DAY
17
The clean slap of computer keys. A cigarette smolders. Ranger
clerk SGT. JOHN GRIMES types data into a computer. Standing
opposite his desk is PFC TODD BLACKBURN.
GRIMES
Name?
BLACKBURN
Todd.
(CONTINUED)
10.
17
CONTINUED:
17
GRIMES
Last name?
BLACKBURN
Blackburn.
GRIMES
(Grimes enters the
info)
First name Todd.
BLACKBURN
So what's it like?
GRIMES
(without looking up)
What's what like?
BLACKBURN
Mogadishu. The fighting.
GRIMES
Serial number?
BLACKBURN
7-2-1-6-3-4-2-7.
GRIMES
(enters the info,
then)
Firstly, it's "The Mog," or simply:
"Mog." No one calls it Mogadishu
here. Secondly, I wouldn't know about
the fighting, so don't ask.
BLACKBURN
Why not?
GRIMES
Didn't I just say "don't ask"?
(takes a drag off
cigarette)
Look kid, you look like you're about
twelve, so let me explain something
to you. I have a rare and mysterious
skill that precludes me from going
on missions.
BLACKBURN
Typing?
GRIMES
(pauses typing)
Can you type?
BLACKBURN
No.
(CONTINUED)
11.
17
CONTINUED: (2)
17
GRIMES
(immediately resumes
typing)
Date of birth?
BLACKBURN
2-27-75.
Like chiseling into a headstone, Grimes types into the "age"
field - 18. Hands young Blackburn his I.D.
BLACKBURN
(affirmatively)
Well I'm here to kick some ass.
18
EXT. DESERT COASTLINE - DAY
18
Hoot smokes a cigar on top of a sand dune as a Black Hawk
passes over him. We see that he is holding his mountain bike.
Wolcott lands the Black Hawk Super Six One on the beach,
kicks up a storm of sand. Hoot shoulders his bike, hustles
into the chopper.
19
INT. BLACK HAWK SUPER SIX ONE - SAME
19
HOOT
(over the ROAR of the
chopper blades)
Nice man, very smooth!
GORDON
(impressed with himself)
Single shot through the engine block!
HOOT
Shit, that's a shame man. That's a
nice jeep.
The Black Hawk lifts off and kicks up a cloud of sand as it
flies away.
20
EXT. BEACH FIRING RANGE - DAY
20
A line of Rangers fire M-16s at targets.
A military "Hummer" drives up to the range.
Behind the firing line, Eversmann blows a WHISTLE.
(CONTINUED)
12.
20
CONTINUED:
20
EVERSMANN
Cease fire, cease fire!
(the shooting stops)
Check your weapons.
Grimes and Blackburn approach from the Hummer.
GRIMES
Sergeant Eversmann!
(as Eversmann turns)
Sarge.
BLACKBURN
Private First Class Blackburn.
EVERSMANN
(blankly)
Yeah?
BLACKBURN
Reporting for duty.
EVERSMANN
Not to me you're not. You're reporting
to Lieutenant Beales. He should be
around here somewhere.
GRIMES
Can I leave him with you?
Grimes just wants to leave. He's got things to do. Eversmann
smirks -- go head, go.
EVERSMANN
Yeah, go ahead.
(to Blackburn)
You brought your weapon?
BLACKBURN
Sergeant. Want me to shoot? I'm
rested.
EVERSMANN
When'd you get in?
BLACKBURN
Just now, Sergeant.
Blackburn looks so young and eager, and already sunburned
down one side of his face from the chopper ride.
21
EXT. HIGH ABOVE MARSHY WETLANDS - DAY
A herd of wild boars flees from the chopper.
21
13.
22
INT. SUPER SIX ONE - SAME
22
Upon sight of the boars Hoot cocks his rifle.
HOOT
Hey, who's hungry?
The other Rangers smirk.
23
EXT. MESS HALL - EVENING
23
Hoot stands before a wild boar on a rotating BBQ spit. Men
move along the chow line.
CAPTAIN STEELE, Ranger ground commander, steps up behind
Delta Sergeant SANDERSON in line.
STEELE
What is this, Sanderson? Another
taxpayer funded Delta safari?
SANDERSON
Not if General Garrison's asking.
STEELE
No, I'm asking.
SANDERSON
Have a nice meal, Captain.
IN THE LINE -- Hoot cuts in front of Blackburn, grabs food.
BLACKBURN
Hey man, there's a line.
HOOT
I know.
BLACKBURN
Well, this isn't the back of it.
HOOT
Man, I know.
STEELE
Sergeant, Sergeant?
Hoot turns to see Steel staring at him.
STEELE
What's going on here?
Sanderson watches them from down the chow line.
(CONTINUED)
14.
23
CONTINUED:
23
HOOT
Oh, just some aerial target practice
sir, didn't want to leave it behind.
STEELE
I'm talking about your weapon. Delta
or no Delta, that's a hot weapon.
You know better than that. You're
safety should be on at all times on
base.
HOOT
(shows Steele his
finger)
Well this is my safety, sir.
Hoot walks off with his plate of food. Sanderson stops Steele
from going after Hoot.
SANDERSON
Let it go sir, the guy hasn't eaten
in a couple of days.
STEELE
You D-boys are a bunch of
undisciplined cowboys. Let me tell
you something, soldier. When we get
on the five yard line, you're gonna
need my Rangers. Ya'll better learn
to be team players. It's rough out
there.
Sanderson walks away as LT. COLONEL MCKNIGHT watches from
his table.
24
INT. BARRACKS - NIGHT
24
The barracks is divided by the arrangement of the cots.
Rangers here, Delta there, relaxing over Risk, Stratego,
cribbage, cards, Gameboys. Ping-pong games in the corner.
Pilots Durant and Wolcott are continuing their Scrabble game.
PILLA stands before a group of young men as though he's on
stage. He imitates Captain Steele, much to the amusement of
the men. Pilla tries to hide his thick "Joyzee" accent:
PILLA
Speak up!
(touches his forehead)
You say this is your safety? Well
this is my boot son, and it will fit
up your ass with the proper amount
of force.
Off to the side Eversmann writes a letter.
(CONTINUED)
15.
24
CONTINUED:
24
RANGER (O.S.)
Is that a Jersey accent?
RANGER 2 (O.S.)
It's Georgia.
PILLA
(to another Ranger)
You'se guys, I'm trying to do this.
Give me a break.
(back in character)
Take those sunglasses off, Soldier.
Delta wants to wear Oakleys, that's
their business, I don't want to see
them on you again, hooah?
Other Rangers laughingly mock his "hooah."
PILLA
Hey, is that a hot weapon?
DELTA SECTION - Gordon plops in a seat opposite Shughart as
Shughart studies a critical move, finger on his bishop.
GORDON
Is that your move?
SHUGHART
My hand on the piece?
GORDON
I mate you in three whatever you do.
SHUGHART
I'd keep my eye on that queen before
counseling with others.
GORDON
Well she's just lying in wait.
NEARBY - WEX, the oldest Delta at 42, sketches on a pad.
Busch leans over to see: a medieval knight dragging an
enormous sword through a dense forest. Beautiful and scary.
BUSCH
Wex. It's good. You're improving.
WEX
(Wex shrugs, it's
okay)
Ah.
BUSCH
If I may make a suggestion,
observation?
(CONTINUED)
16.
24
CONTINUED: (2)
24
WEX
Mmm hmm?
BUSCH
It's a children's book, right?
WEX
Right.
BUSCH
They are not supposed to scare the
living shit out of children.
WEX
This is the part of the story where
our knight, our warrior is about to
slay the one-eyed dragon and that's
scary. Besides, my daughter loves
this stuff.
BUSCH
I thought you finished that last
week. Hmm?
WEX
You done? I had to get a visual.
Across the hangar, Pilla is still doing his impression of
Steele for the group.
PILLA
Hey, we are at the ten yard line
here men, you understand? Can you
count? One, two, ten. Okay? Where
are my running backs? Where are my
running backs?
The Rangers laugh and respond with emphatic "hooahs". Pilla
doesn't notice as Steele enters.
PILLA
Hey, I didn't see you in church on
Sunday soldier. Had something more
important to do? Not on Sunday you
don't. Not anymore. I will make you
believe. You understand?
Pilla turns and finds himself face-to-face with Steele
himself. Goes ashen. Other Rangers watch to see what happens
next. Steele, surprisingly, smiles good-naturedly.
STEELE
That's pretty funny, hooah?
(CONTINUED)
17.
24
CONTINUED: (3)
24
The Rangers respond with a slight "hooah".
STEELE
See, it's a good impression. I
recognize myself. All right, carry
on.
Even though Steele seems to be taking it well, Pilla isn't
able to relax.
STEELE
A quick word, specials.
Pilla turns around and Steele grabs him in a headlock. The
Rangers laugh. Pilla flips the Rangers off behind his back.
PILLA
Yes, Sir?
STEELE
If I ever see you undermine
you'll be cleaning latrines
your tongue until you can't
the difference between shit
fries. Is that clear?
me again,
with
taste
and french
PILLA
Hooah, sir.
STEELE
All right.
The Rangers applaud Pilla as he returns and plops on a couch
between two guys.
ANOTHER CORNER - KURTH, WADDELL, NELSON, and GOODALE talk
around Eversmann, who busies himself with his letter. LT.
BEALES is reading a book on Somalia.
LT.
Listen to this,
another skinny,
dead guy's clan
hundred camels.
BEALES
if one skinny kills
his clan owes the
a hundred camels. A
Waddell looks up from his book.
WADDELL
Camels. I wouldn't pay one camel.
GOODALE
Must be a lot of fucking camel debt.
(carves on a piece of
wood)
Is that really true lieutenant?
(CONTINUED)
18.
24
CONTINUED: (4)
24
LT. BEALES
Ask Sergeant Eversmann. He likes the
skinnies.
Eversmann finally looks up.
GOODALE
Eversmann, you really like the
skinnies?
EVERSMANN
It's not that I like them or I don't
like them. I respect them.
Kurth leans back in his chair and deals the cards.
KURTH
See, what you guys fail to realize
is, Sergeant here is a bit of an
idealist. Believes in this mission
down to his very bones. Don't you,
Sergeant?
EVERSMANN
Look these people, they have no jobs,
no food, no education, no future. I
just figure that, you know, I mean,
we either, we have two things we can
do, we can either help, or we can
sit back and watch the country destroy
itself on CNN. Right?
KURTH
I don't know about you guys, but I
was trained to fight. Were you trained
to fight, Sergeant?
They wait for an answer. Lt. Beales watches him with bemused
interest. Eversmann chooses his words carefully.
EVERSMANN
Well, I think I was trained to make
a difference, Kurth.
Kurth starts laughing.
LT. BEALES
Like the man said, he's an idealist.
(he looks at the TV)
Oh wait, this is my favorite part.
ON SCREEN - A sniper fires at Steve Martin, who ducks for
cover in the gas station.
(CONTINUED)
19.
24
CONTINUED: (5)
24
Everyone cracks up, but no one as hard as Beales. Beales is
literally falling off his chair. It takes a moment for the
others to realize he isn't laughing; he's choking on his
tongue, having a seizure.
A Ranger hurries to his side, waves the others back.
RANGER
No-no-no! Stay back, stay back!
Eversmann stands, moves closer for a better look. The Ranger
cradles Beales.
RANGER
John, John, it's okay. John, John,
John, it's okay.
25
EXT. MOSQUE - MOGADISHU - DAWN
25
A speaker high atop a mosque calls out a morning prayer.
SUPER
5:45 AM - SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3
26
EXT. BEACH - DAWN
26
A young Somali wearing a baseball cap backwards is on his
knees, praying on the deserted beach in front of the old
city. Then shoulders his rifle and gathers his things to go.
27
EXT. INFIRMARY - MORNING
27
Eversmann waits outside the tent as Steele approaches.
STEELE
Well, he'll be fine, but not in this
army. He's out of the game. He's
epileptic, going home.
(walks past Eversmann,
turns back)
I'm putting you in charge of his
chalk.
(off Eversmann's
reaction)
You got a problem with that?
EVERSMANN
No, sir.
STEELE
Now it's a big responsibility. Your
men are going to look to you to make
the right decisions. Their lives
depend on it.
(CONTINUED)
20.
27
CONTINUED:
27
That's great. That makes Eversmann feel more anxious about
it.
STEELE
All right.
EVERSMANN
Rangers are the way, Sir.
STEELE
All the way. Good luck, son.
Steele walks away. Eversmann turns back to the Infirmary
tent, enters and waves to Beales, considering the enormity
of the duty he's just been given.
28
EXT. BAKARA MARKET - DAY
28
SUPER: HALWADIG ROAD - BAKARA MARKET AIDID'S MILITIA
STRONGHOLD
Cacophony of noise and voices. The crowded outdoor Bakara
Market is in the center of the city.
The young baseball cap wearing Somali (TYE-DIE) we saw praying
on the beach now stands before a merchant who wants to sell
him a machine gun, demonstrating by firing into the air. No
one even looks over.
"Tie-Dye" appears to be more interested in a group of
militiamen talking above the stall's belts of ammunition, up
on the balcony.
A door opens behind them and two of Aidid's Lieutenants
emerge. The armed militiamen get up and escort the pair past
Tie-Dye without a look or word of acknowledgement except the
last of them, who gives the subtlest of gestures - an almost
imperceptible nod.
GARRISON (V.O.)
A long-anticipated meeting of Aidid's
senior cabinet may take place today
at fifteen hundred hours.
29
INT. MESH TENT - DAY
29
Garrison briefs Delta, Black Hawk pilots, and four Ranger
chalk leaders, including Eversmann. McKnight, Steele, Cribbs,
Matthews and Harrell are in front, the rest behind.
(CONTINUED)
21.
29
CONTINUED:
29
GARRISON
And I say may, because we all know
by now, with the intel we get on the
street, nothing is certain. This is
actual intel, confirmed by three
sources. Two tier one personalities
may be present.
(points to two enlarged
photos)
Omar Salad, Aidid's top political
advisor; and Abdi Hassan Awale,
interior minister. These are the
guys we're after.
Delta let the photos burn into their retinas. Garrison looks
at Captain Steele.
GARRISON
Today we go. Same mission template
as before.
Garrison's hand moves past an overhead map of Mogadishu,
points to another map: the outline of a general "target
building." Two building entrances are marked "D" for Delta.
The men take notes as they listen.
GARRISON
15:45, Assault Force Delta will
infiltrate the target building and
seize all suspects within. Security
Force: Rangers. Four Ranger chalks
under the command of Captain Steele
will rope in at 15:46...
(points to four corners
on map)
...and hold a four-corner perimeter
around the target building. No one
gets in or out.
(as McKnight looks on)
Extraction Force: Lt. Colonel
McKnight's Humvee column will drive
into the city at 15:47
On Halwadig Road and hold just short
of the Olympic Hotel, here -(points to the map)
Wait for the green light. Now once
Delta gives the word, McKnight's
column will move to the target
building and load the prisoners on
flatbed trucks. Immediately after
the prisoners are loaded, the four
Ranger Chalks will collapse back to
the target building, load up on
Humvees, and the entire ground force
will exfil the three miles back to
base. Mission time from incursion to
extraction: no longer than 30 minutes.
(CONTINUED)
22.
29
CONTINUED: (2)
29
Garrison, still standing before them, lets this sink in.
GARRISON
Now, I had requested light armor and
AC-130 Spectre Gunships, but
Washington, in all it's wisdom,
decided against this. Too highprofile. Black Hawks and Little Birds
will provide the air cover with
miniguns and 275 rockets. Colonel
Harrell?
Garrison sits as he glances over at COLONEL HARRELL.
HARRELL
In the C 2 Bird: Colonel Matthews
will coordinate the air mission, and
I will coordinate ground forces.
Colonel Matthews?
COLONEL MATTHEWS, early forties, speaks up.
MATTHEWS
Mission launch codeword is Irene.
Questions?
HOOT
Which building is it, sir?
GARRISON
Exactly which building we're
confirming right now. Somewhere around
the Bakara Market.
Garrison regards Hoot's reaction, then the others.
GARRISON
(primarily to Hoot)
I don't choose the time or place of
their meetings.
HOOT
I didn't say a word, Sir.
There is an unspoken unease in the room.
GARRISON
We're going into the hornet's nest
today. You give them time to react
and they'll swarm. Make no mistake.
Once you're in the Bakara Market,
you're in an entirely hostile
district. Don't underestimate their
capabilities.
(CONTINUED)
23.
29
CONTINUED: (3)
29
Eversmann swallows, checks the others' reactions.
GARRISON
Now we'll be going through friendly
neighborhoods before we hit the
market. So remember the "Rules of
Engagement": no one fires unless
fired upon. So let's go get this
thing done. Good luck, gentlemen.
30
EXT. TENT - MOMENTS LATER
30
The group files out. McKnight, the most obviously concerned
of them, lights a cigarette and slaps closed his Zippo
lighter. Eversmann watches from inside the tent as Colonels
Matthews and Harrell walk up to McKnight.
MATTHEWS
What's the matter, Danny, something
you don't like?
MCKNIGHT
(as if it's nothing)
No Spectre gunships, daylight instead
of night, late afternoon when they're
all fucked up on khat, only part of
the city Aidid can mount a serious
counter-attack on short notice, what's
not to like?
HARRELL
Life's imperfect.
MCKNIGHT
Yeah, for you two, circling above it
at 500 feet, it's imperfect. Down in
the street, it's unforgiving.
Eversmann continues to watch from inside the tent. He heard
it all.
31
EXT. MOGADISHU - DAY
31
An alley. Tie-Dye rips lengths of black duct tape and presses
them to the roof of his battered car in the shape of an X.
32
EXT. BASE - DAY
32
Smith plays basketball as Eversmann works at a desk.
EVERSMANN
What the fuck, Smith?
(CONTINUED)
24.
32
CONTINUED:
32
SMITH
Well?
EVERSMANN
Well, what?
SMITH
We going?
EVERSMANN
Why should I tell you that?
SMITH
Because I'm me.
EVERSMANN
Three o'clock. Downtown. Bakara
market.
SMITH
Alright.
EVERSMANN
Listen, Smith. I need you to back me
up out there today, all right? Keep
sharp.
SMITH
Yes sir, Sergeant Eversmann.
EVERSMANN
All right.
SMITH
Ev?
(hot-Dogs with the
basketball)
It's gonna be nothing man.
Nothing.
Smith runs off in to the hangar bouncing the basketball.
33
INT. BASE OFFICE - DAY
33
At a filing cabinet, Grimes carefully pushes the plunger
down on the coffee grounds in the coffee pot. He speaks over
his shoulder to the only other person in the cluttered office -Sizemore.
GRIMES
It's all in the grind, Sizemore.
Can't be too fine, can't be too
coarse. This my friend is a science.
Turns, holding the coffee pot.
(CONTINUED)
25.
33
CONTINUED:
33
GRIMES
I mean - you're looking at the guy
that believed the commercials, you
know? About be all you can be. I
made coffee through Desert Storm. I
made coffee through Panama, while
everyone else got to fight, got to
be a Ranger.
As Grimes blathers, Sizemore reaches for a letter opener,
shoves it down his still-drying cast and scratches away.
GRIMES
Now it's Grimesy, black, one sugar.
Or Grimesy, got a powdered anywhere?
Adds just the right amount of sugars. Grimes finally turns
and approaches Sizemore, sitting at a desk, trying to itch
under the still-wet cast. Hands Sizemore the mug.
GRIMES
What happened to you?
SIZEMORE
Ping-pong accident.
GRIMES
What?
SIZEMORE
So guess what? Your wish has been
granted. You're going out today.
GRIMES
You're fuckin' me.
SIZEMORE
You're taking my place assisting the
sixty gunner. Sergeant Eversmann
said to get your stuff and get ready.
Now Grimes is speechless. Sizemore relishes the moment.
SIZEMORE
It's what you wanted, isn't it?
GRIMES
(gripping his coffee)
Oh yeah. Hell, yeah.
Grimes is apoplectic. His eyes glaze over with a thousandyard stare. It's exactly what he wanted, but now that it's
come to him, he's not at all sure it's what he really wants.
26.
34
INT. HANGAR - DAY
34
Delta and Rangers, in their respective areas, prepare in
their own ways, gathering equipment they think they'll need,
leaving behind what they don't.
Eversmann calls out to Grimes.
EVERSMANN
Grimsey! I want you to stick with
Waddell and give him ammo when he
needs it. Hooah?
GRIMES
(softly)
Hooah.
WADDELL
I wouldn't worry 'bout that. Generally
speaking, Somalis can't shoot for
shit.
GALENTINE
Don't worry about it. Just watch out
for the Sammies throwing the fucking
rocks and you'll be fine. Might even
be fun.
The other guys snicker at this.
KURTH
You boys do their thing now. What we
gotta do is cover them, choppers
gonna cover us. And we'll be all
right.
EVERSMANN
Look you guys, I know this is my
first time as ah, Chalk leader...
But ah, this is serious. We're
Rangers, not some sorry ass J.R.O.T.C.
We're elite. Let's act like it out
there. Hooah?
The guys all "hooah".
EVERSMANN
Any questions? We're gonna be okay.
All right, grab your gear. Let's
move out.
A few guys "hooah" again, disperse. Eversmann exhales heavily.
INTERCUT, Delta, methodical and precise, no talk: Hoot taping
the pins of grenades. Grimes starts to fill a canteen.
(CONTINUED)
27.
34
CONTINUED:
34
NELSON
You're not going to need that, dude,
we're not out there long enough.
Grimes sets it back. Sees YUREK reach for a NOD - Night
Observation Device - and reaches for one himself.
TWOMBLY
Hey, you're not going to need that
either, we're back before dark. You
might as well take dope and beer
instead.
Grimes just stares. Twombly, of course, is kidding.
GRIMES
What?
TWOMBLY
Ammo, dude. Take ammo.
Yurek puts the NODs back. Grimes sees Joyce removing the
rear panel of his Kevlar vest. Joyce notices Grimes watching.
JOYCE
Let me tell you something Grimes.
You've got about fifty pounds of
gear as it is, you don't need another
twelve. I don't know about you but,
I'm not planning on getting shot in
the back running away.
GRIMES
Well I better keep mine in.
EVERSMANN
Hey, Grimes? The most important thing?
Just remember when everybody else is
shooting, shoot in the same direction.
All right.
INTERCUT: Eversmann considers Blackburn, who appears more
fidgety than before.
As Joyce's putting on his armor, he watches Wex across the
hangar tearing off pieces of masking tape and writing
something on them with a Sharpie. Sticks them to his boots.
JOYCE
Look at this guy, Lo. Taping his
blood type to his boots. It's bad
luck.
RUIZ
No it's smart.
(CONTINUED)
28.
34
CONTINUED: (2)
34
SGT. LORENZO RUIZ pulls out an already addressed and sealed
envelope, regards it.
RUIZ
All Delta do that.
JOYCE
(re: the letter)
That's bad luck too, man. Come on,
let's go.
Ruiz holds the letter. Joyce gets up and walks past him.
Ruiz turns to a glum Sizemore.
RUIZ
It's a good thing you're right handed,
Adonis.
(mimes like he's
jacking off)
If not, I don't know what you'd do.
SIZEMORE
You're a funny guy, man.
Ruiz profers the letter to Sizemore.
SIZEMORE
I'm not taking no death letter.
RUIZ
(shoves it in his
hand)
We have a deal.
SIZEMORE
I'll give it back to you in an hour.
35
INT. BARRACKS - CONTINUED - DAY
35
EVERSMANN
You okay?
BLACKBURN
Excited. In a good way. I've been
training my whole life for this.
EVERSMANN
You ever shot at anybody before?
BLACKBURN
No, Sargent.
(CONTINUED)
29.
35
CONTINUED:
35
EVERSMANN
Me neither.
Eversmann pats Blackburn on the shoulder.
36
EXT. MOGADISHU - DAY
36
SUPER
2:29 PM A Black Hawk hovers over TieDye's battered car.
37
INT. TIE-DYE'S CAR MOVING - DAY
37
Tie-Dye drives along the streets, deeper into the city than
the U.N. ever goes.
38
EXT. HIGH ABOVE MOGADISHU - SAME
38
A Black Hawk hovers high above the car, following.
39
INT. JOC - SAME
39
SUPER: J.O.C. JOINT OPERATIONS CENTER
Garrison and Cribbs watch the image from the C2 chopper, and
HEAR the annoying music over the command net.
CRIBBS
Think he's reliable?
GARRISON
Well, we'll see. It's his first time
out.
40
INT. TIE-DYE'S CAR MOVING - DAY
40
Local pop music jangles on the radio as Tie-Dye drives. He
drips with sweat.
41
INT. JOC - SAME
41
GARRISON
Tell him to turn his damn radio off.
RADIOMAN (O.S.)
Yes, sir. Tell him to turn his radio
off.
42
INT. BLACK HAWK HELICOPTER - SAME
HARRELL
Abdu, you need to turn your radio
off.
42
30.
43
INT. TIE-DYE'S CAR MOVING - DAY
43
Tie-Dye follows the order, switches the radio off.
44
INT. KITCHEN - U.S./TIME DIFFERENCE - DAY
44
The machine sitting on a counter next to a refrigerator
covered with snapshots and reminder notes. A dog listens to
the outgoing message:
CHILD'S VOICE (V.O.)
Hi, mommy and daddy aren't home.
Leave me a message.
SHUGHART (V.O.)
Hey baby, it's me, you there? Pick
up if you're there.
45
INT. THE HANGAR - DAY
45
Shughart is on a satellite phone, huddled against a wall.
SHUGHART
I'm just calling to check up on you
and make sure everything's all right.
I'll call in a couple of hours. You
better not be sleeping.
Gordon moves a chess piece, then passes Shughart still on
the phone.
GORDON
You're move, Randy.
46
INT. KITCHEN - U.S./TIME DIFFERENCE - NIGHT
46
SHUGHART
I'm missing you. I love you, baby.
The call disconnects.
SHUGHART'S WIFE
Hello, hello?
47
EXT. BARRACKS BUILDING - DAY
47
Eversmann leans against a wall next to Hoot. Silence between
them, Eversmann looks off.
EVERSMANN
You know, it's kinda funny. Beautiful
beach, beautiful sun... it'd almost
be a good place to visit.
(CONTINUED)
31.
47
CONTINUED:
47
HOOT
Almost.
EVERSMANN
(off Hoot's tone)
You don't think we should be here.
HOOT
Know what I think? Don't really matter
what I think. Once that first bullet
goes past your head -- politics, and
all that shit -- just goes right out
the window.
EVERSMANN
I just wanna do it right today.
HOOT
Just watch your corner...get all
your men back here alive.
Eversmann turns to Hoot, grave.
48
EXT. MOGADISHU - DAY
48
Tie-Dye's car moves deeper into the city.
49
INT. JOC - SAME
49
An overhead image of Tie-Dye's car and surrounding streets.
GARRISON
Is this supposed to be the place or
did his car just take a dump?
OBSERVATION BIRD PILOT (O.S.)
Avi come in.
50
INT. OBSERVATION BIRD
50
OBSERVATION BIRD PILOT
Avi, can you hear me? Is this the
place?
51
INT. TIE-DYE'S CAR
Tie-Dye sits and stares at the people in the street.
OBSERVATION BIRD PILOT (V.O.)
Avi, come in? Avi, can you hear me,
is this the place?
TIE-DYE
To my right hand side, above the
cafe.
51
32.
52
INT. JOC - SAME
52
MATTHEWS
Sir, he says this is the building.
CRIBBS
He's certain?
Garrison looks at the overhead images.
53
INT. OBSERVATION BIRD - CONTINUED
53
OBSERVATION BIRD PILOT (V.O.)
Avi, you need to be sure. Are you
sure?
54
INT. TIE-DYE'S CAR - CONTINUED
54
TIE-DYE
Well, it's down the road two blocks
around my left.
55
INT./EXT. OBSERVATION BIRD - CONTINUED
55
OBSERVATION BIRD PILOT (V.O.)
Now he's saying the building's
actually a couple blocks down, but
if he's seen outside it he'll be
shot.
56
INT. JOC - CONTINUED
56
GARRISON
I'll fuckin' shoot him myself a couple
of blocks down. Tell him I want his
skinny ass parked in front of the
damn building. He's not getting paid
until he does exactly that.
57
EXT. BASE - DAY
57
McKnight addresses his men.
MCKNIGHT
It's three miles to the target area.
We're never off the main roads.
In the background, soldiers move and prepare MH-6 Little
Birds.
MCKNIGHT
At the K-4 traffic circle we turn
north, then east on National. We
wait 'til Delta's finished, here.
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
33.
57
CONTINUED:
57
MCKNIGHT (CONT'D)
Then we roll up in force on Halwadig.
We load the prisoners and then the
assault and blocking forces, and
bring 'em back. Home in an hour.
Okay?
McKnight looks at Pilla, Othic, other gunners.
MCKNIGHT
Now there will be some shooting.
Bakara Market is the Wild West. But
be careful what you shoot at because
people do live there. Hooah.
Several "hooah" in response as McKnight and the rest up and
leave.
58
EXT. MOGADISHU - DAY
58
Tie-Dye's car moves through the streets.
59
INT. JOC - CONTINUED - DAY
59
The overhead image of Tie-Dye's car on a screen.
GARRISON
The last one of these guys shot
himself in the head playing Russian
Roulette in a bar.
60
EXT. HALWADIG ROAD - DAY
60
Tie-Dye's car rattles up to a three-story building. Stops.
61
INT. JOC - CONTINUED
61
The overhead image on a screen.
RADIOMAN (O.S.)
Sir, the vehicle stopped.
GARRISON
So this is the real deal now? He's
sure this time?
OBSERVATION BIRD PILOT (V.O.)
He sounds scared shitless.
GARRISON
Good. That's always a good sign.
62
EXT. HALWADIG ROAD - CONTINUED
Tie-Dye exits the car, opens the hood. Fans the steaming
radiator fumes.
62
34.
63
INT. JOC - CONTINUED
63
The overhead image on a screen.
GARRISON
(turning to leave)
Alright, all QRF out of the airspace.
CRIBBS
All QRF out of the airspace.
64
INT. MATTHEW'S C2 BLACK HAWK - DAY
64
Colonel Matthews speaks into his headset:
MATTHEWS
All units, Irene. I say again, Irene.
INT. WOLCOTT'S BLACK HAWK - CONT.
Wolcott and his copilot make sure things are in order.
WOLCOTT
(into his headset)
Irene!
65
INT. DURANT'S BLACK HAWK - DAY
65
Durant smiles, speaks into his headset.
DURANT
Fuckin' Irene!
66
EXT. TARMAC - DAY
66
Rangers deploy across the tarmac to their respective choppers.
Garrison has come out to wish the men well, moving past the
open doors of Eversmann's Black Hawk, shouting over the noise.
GARRISON
Good luck boys... be careful... no
one gets left behind.
He gives the thumbs up and leaves. Blackburn and Grimes notice
Eversmann still looking after the general with some concern.
BLACKBURN & GRIMES
(almost together)
What's wrong?
(CONTINUED)
35.
66
CONTINUED:
66
EVERSMANN
Nothing. He's just never done that
before.
GRIMES
Ah, fuck!
GETTING INTO A TRUCK - MCKNIGHT
MCKNIGHT
Let's go!
McKnight's Humvee column rumbles away from the tarmac.
IN SUPER SIX ONE - Elvis Wolcott flashes a satisfied grin at
the sound of the code word. He lifts tip on the controls as - THE ARMADA ascends, deafening. Little Birds whirl skyward,
Delta carried aloft outside the choppers, the ultimate thrill
ride. Black Hawks rise from the earth in tight formation.
67
INT. PRISON ROOM - SAME TIME - DAY
67
The dark, barely-furnished room from before. Alone in it,
Atto watches a glass rattle across the table from the thunder
of the helicopters taking off outside.
68
EXT. SOMALIA COAST NEAR BASE - DAY
68
Just outside the base, against barren terrain near the coast,
a kid wearing a BeeGees t-shirt and flip-flops tends a small
fire.
As the helicopters continue to rise, the boy finds a cell
phone in his pants pocket and makes a call.
69
EXT. ROOFTOP/STREET - MOGADISHU - DAY
Another kid with a cell phone hurries across a rooftop. He
shouts down -SOMALI KID
Mo'Alim!
The kid drops the phone. It falls into a waiting pair of
hands of an Aidid militia man. He carries the phone in to
MO'ALIM, an Aidid lieutenant, sprawled out asleep on a bed.
MILITIA MAN
Mo'Alim!
The Militia Man wakes Mo'Alim up with the phone. Mo'Alim
puts the phone to his ear and hears a Doppler-thunder of
helicopters --
69
36.
70
EXT. SOMALIA COAST BY EAST - CONTINUED - DAY
70
The first boy is holding the phone up like a badge as the
helicopters thunder over him.
71
INT. MARKET - DAY
71
Mo'Alim and his militia arm themselves. Men shout and pass
off guns to more men.
72
INT./EXT. WOLCOTT'S BLACK HAWK / MOGADISHU - DAY
72
Black Hawks move low and fast, following the Humvee caravan
along a road. Then parallel to the shore over the running
breakers.
INT. WOLCOTT'S BLACK HAWK - CONT.
EVERSMANN
Grimsey!
Eversmann taps his helmet and throws a pen to Grimes. Grimes
writes his name on his helmet.
WOLCOTT
Two minutes!
Eversmann holds up two fingers.
EVERSMANN
Two minutes.
73
EXT. MOGADISHU STREETS - DAY
73
Tie-Dye stands waiting outside his car.
The militia barricade the streets and start burning tires.
Mo'Alim rides forward on a convoy.
INT. WOLCOTT'S BLACK HAWK - CONT.
BELOW - black smoke from piles of burning tires rises into
the sky as-GRIMES
(shouts in Nelson's
ear)
Why are they burning tires?
WADDELL
Signals, to the militia!
(CONTINUED)
37.
73
CONTINUED:
73
INT. JOC Garrison watches the overhead image.
74
INT. WOLCOTT'S BLACK HAWK - CONTINUED
74
Briley holds up one finger and mouths one minute.
WOLCOTT
One minute.
EVERSMANN
One minute!
Waddell dog-ears a page of his book. Eversmann's chalk
prepares to go in.
Blackburn sees Nelson putting in a football mouth guard.
BLACKBURN
What's that for?
NELSON
Last rope, I almost bit my tongue
off!
Nelson smiles back at him, black plastic over his teeth.
75
EXT. MOGADISHU STREETS - DAY
75
The Humvee convoy rolls in as people run through the streets.
76
EXT./INT. CAR - HALWADIG ROAD - DAY
Tie-Dye sits in his car and waits for the Black Hawks to
land. Militia run through the streets, firing sporadically.
SUPER
3:42 PM
Little Birds land in the street. One of the Little Birds
streaks in and lands on the roof of the building. Hoot's and
the other two descend lower, onto the street, the rotors
just missing the walls of the building. A dust cloud envelopes
them all. Rangers deploy on the street and the Little Birds
swiftly take off.
Rangers move low and fast, storm into buildings in tactical
formations. Fire and kill militiamen.
Tie-Dye pulls away as a Black Hawk approaches the building
through the smoke. Ropes drop from some helicopters.
76
38.
77
INT. WOLCOTT'S BLACK HAWK - DAY
77
Through the cockpit, Eversmann sees nothing below but a
massive swirling cloud of dust. Speaks into his headset mic:
EVERSMANN
Ropes!
FAST ROPES are kicked out the chopper door, snaking down
into the dust cloud as Eversmann's men prepare to go in. He
SHOUTS:
EVERSMANN
GO! GO! GO!
Kurth, Goodale, Doc Schmid all start roping down. Bullets
are already PINGING off the belly of the Black Hawk.
78
INT. JOC - SAME
78
Garrison watches the overhead image.
79
INT./EXT. - TARGET BUILDING - DAY
79
Delta come through the dust and smoke of flashbangs like
apparitions. Hoot, Wex and other Delta burst into a room,
see ten Somalia trying to find another escape route. Better
dressed than most Somalis, this group carries file folders,
maps, charts, scattered on a table, and AK-47s. Bingo.
HOOT
Down, get down! DOWN! DOWN! DO IT
NOW! NOW! NOW!
Somalis hit the deck, foot in the back for their troubles if
they don't do it fast enough. Surrendered weapons clatter to
the floor.
80
ON THE STREET
80
McKnight, now out of his Humvee, peeks calmly around the
corner of a building.
81
INT. WOLCOTT'S BLACK HAWK - DAY
81
SPEAKS INTO HIS HEADSET MIC:
EVERSMANN
Let's go, let's go!
The remaining men start roping down. Grimes swallows hard.
He's next. Crew Chief DOWDY shouts to him:
(CONTINUED)
39.
81
CONTINUED:
81
DOWDY
No fear!
GRIMES
Oh yeah, right.
With that, Grimes disappears; down the rope sliding into the
dust and into the gunfire.
82
EXT. HALWADIG ROAD - DAY
82
McKnight's convoy reaches its waiting position just off
Halwadig. Pilla, in his turret, hears shots, sees bullets
spark off the side of the Humvee.
PILLA
Colonel, they're shooting at us!
Colonel, they're shooting at us!
MCKNIGHT
Well shoot back!
A hail of gunfire erupts and Pilla swings the fifty turret.
Sights a technical racing toward him. He FIRES on it.
OBSERVATION BIRD PILOT (V.O.)
Super Six Five leaving, going in to
holding pattern.
OBSERVATION BIRD PILOT
Super Six Two, come in. Take up
perimeter pattern
OBSERVATION BIRD PILOT
Roger that.
IN THE CHOPPER - still in silence, Blackburn remains.
EVERSMANN
Go Blackburn, go! Go Blackburn!
Just as he says this, Eversmann sees an RPG streaking up at
them.
EVERSMANN
(to Pilot)
RPG!
(to Blackburn)
Hold on!
The Black Hawk ROCKS to avoid the rocket.
(CONTINUED)
40.
82
CONTINUED:
82
--BLACKBURN reaches for the rope, sees it swing away and out
of the grasp of his gloved hands, EVERSMANN stares as the
kid FREE FALLS, disappearing into the swirling dust cloud.
Horrified, Eversmann dives out after him, grabbing onto the
rope.
EVERSMANN
No!
83
EXT. CHALK 4 CORNER - SAME
83
Eversmann fast-ropes through the cloud for what seems to him
forever. Finally, his feet touch down. He scrambles to
Blackburn -- having fallen 40 feet to the dirt street.
OBSERVATION BIRD PILOT
D-2, we got a man fallen.
OPERATOR
Six Four, you're a sitting duck there.
Get out and take cover pattern.
OBSERVATION BIRD PILOT
Roger that. Six one leaving.
The Black Hawk starts away.
84
ON THE GROUND
84
Eversmann checks Blackburn who lies still. He and Blackburn
are alone in the middle of the street. Over the sharp crackle
of gunfire -EVERSMANN
Doc! Doc Schmid!
Schmid, the medic who benched Sizemore, suddenly appears
with his kit from behind Eversmann, startling him.
SCHMID
Where's he hit?
EVERSMANN
He's not. He fell.
SCHMID
What?
EVERSMANN
He fell!
41.
85
EXT. CHALK 4 CORNER - DAY
85
Grimes dives on his belly, bullets hissing through the air
around him. Waddell is sighting with the SAW, but not firing
at a group of fleeting figures down the block.
GRIMES
Why aren't you shooting?
WADDELL
We're not being shot at yet.
GRIMES
How can you tell?
WADDELL
A hiss means it's close. A snap...
SNAP! SNAP! SNAP!
WADDELL
Now they're shooting at us!
Waddell levels withering fire down the street. The fleeting
figures scatter.
Grimes sees figures with weapons firing at him a block away.
He levels his gun and SHOOTS! He's shooting at the enemy!
86
EXT. CHALK 4 CORNER - DAY
86
Eversmann, in the middle of it with Blackburn, yells across
to his radio man, Galentine. Waves him over.
EVERSMANN
Galentine! Get me Captain Steele!
Get me Captain Steele!
GALENTINE
Uniform Six Four, this is Uniform
Two Five, come in, over. Uniform Six
Five, this is Uniform Two Five Two.
Schmid moves Blackburn's head -- blood seeping from his nose
and ears.
GALENTINE
I can't get him!
Galentine doesn't know why. Something wrong with the radio
maybe. Eversmann unholsters his walkie-talkie, and as he
shouts into it, he can SEE Delta spilling from the first
building out into the street.
(CONTINUED)
42.
86
CONTINUED:
86
EVERSMANN
Juliet Six Four, this is Chalk Four.
We got a man down! We gotta get him
out of here. Over!
EXT. INTERCUT - STEELE'S CHALK ONE - CONT.
Steele's men are fanned cut, taking random gunfire. Steele
sees the Delta, running down the block toward him and into a
different building. Eversmann's voice squawks on the walkie.
STEELE
Six four, say again, two five, over!
EVERSMANN (V.O.)
He's hurt. He fell. Over.
STEELE
Take a breath Two Five and calm down!
Over!
EVERSMANN
Man down!
STEELE
Missed your last response, again?
87
INT. JOC - SAME
87
Garrison sits down and watches the overhead image. He rubs
his temples.
88
EXT. CHALK 4 CORNER - SAME
Schmid shouts out to anyone.
SCHMID
Get me a stretcher!
Two men unfold a collapsible litter from a medic pack. They
gingerly place Blackburn on it.
EVERSMANN
Go!
SCHMID
Okay, go!
They run through a hail of gun fire.
88
43.
89
INT. TARGET BUILDING - DAY
89
Delta has moved the prisoners out on to the balcony. They
kneel facing the wall.
HOOT
Secure.
SANDERSON
Let's move out!
HOOT
Let's go, let's go!
90
EXT. HALWADIG ROAD
90
Schmid and his team carry Blackburn on the stretcher.
91
INT. TARGET BUILDING - DAY
91
Delta has marched the prisoners into an inner courtyard.
Everyone waiting.
Hoot speaks into a walkie talkie -HOOT
K.O. Six Four, green light.
92
INT. JOC - DAY
92
Garrison sits at the panel of screens.
OBSERVATION BIRD PILOT (V.O.)
Ready for extraction, over.
GARRISON
That's it. We're done.
OBSERVATION BIRD PILOT (V.O.)
Roger that Kilo One One, we'll relay.
Uniform Six Four, ready for
extraction.
93
EXT. HALWADIG ROAD/HUMVEE SQUAD - DAY
93
McKnight shouts as he leaps into the Humvee:
MCKNIGHT
Roger that. There's the call! Let's
move out! Let's move out!
STRUECKER
Hold on!
(CONTINUED)
44.
93
CONTINUED:
93
The Humvee squad rumbles around the corner, rolls down the
line.
McKnight leads them to a Humvee, starts passing Blackburn
inside to a waiting Delta medic.
EXT. HALWADIG ROAD - CONT.
Gunfire from rooftops across the street force Delta to bring
out prisoners in contained groups of three. Other Delta return
fire, driving back snipers. As soon as one disappears, another
sniper pops up.
MCKNIGHT
How much time do you need?
SANDERSON
Five minutes, Sir!
MCKNIGHT
What?
SANDERSON
Five minutes!
MCKNIGHT
You've only got five minutes!
McKnight turns around and walks over to Schmid.
MCKNIGHT
What happened to him?
SCHMID
He fell, missed the rope.
MCKNIGHT
How'd he do that?
(off Schmid's shrug)
Put him in that op!
Hoot comes back out of the target courtyard with Sanderson.
They move the Somali prisoners out.
HOOT
Let's go, let's go. Come on, let's
move!
Blackburn is loaded in to a Humvee.
GRIMES has been engrossed in watching them load prisoners.
(CONTINUED)
45.
93
CONTINUED: (2)
93
When he turns around be sees Schmid, Smith and Waddell WAY
THE HELL up the street, running back toward Chalk 4. He can
see them taking fire as they run, moving from cover to cover.
ON GRIMES - oh shit. He starts charging after them. Barely
gets three feet when a rocket explodes near him, causing him
to tumble. Turns and charges back to Chalk One and safety.
94
EXT. CHALK 4 CORNER - DAY
94
Schmid, Smith and Waddell come charging up, take cover, out
of breath from the long, dangerous run.
The rest of the chalk are spread out, returning fire.
Eversmann hears an approaching Little Bird and glances up.
As it thunders over him, hot casings splash down like rain,
burning him.
EVERSMANN
Oh, fuck!
Eversmann pulls a casing out of his flack jacket.
95
INT. TARGET BUILDING - DAY
95
Hoot marches more prisoners out.
Two Somali boys stare at them from the corner like they're a
circus attraction.
HOOT
Let's go, right here! Come on!
MCKNIGHT
(calls out)
Struecker!
(grabs a radio)
Formula C-4, I need to send out a
three Humvee with a critical casualty,
he looks real bad. I need to evac
now!
96
INT. BLACK HAWK - SAME
96
HARRELL
Roger that, Uniform Six Four. We'll
shot a team of gunships to you, over.
INT. TARGET BUILDING - CONT.
MCKNIGHT
Roger that.
(CONTINUED)
46.
96
CONTINUED:
96
McKnight grabs Sanderson.
MCKNIGHT
I need extra security on these
Humvees.
Hoot motions for his team. Says to McKnight:
HOOT
I'll go! I'll take my team, make
sure they get back okay.
SANDERSON
(nods)
Sure.
MCKNIGHT
Struecker, you're lead Humvee!
SERGEANT STRUECKER, Iowa farm boy, born-again Christian and
model Ranger jumps up.
STRUECKER
Hooah!
EXT. TARGET BUILDING - CONT.
Strueker is behind the wheel of a Humvee, Blackburn in back,
Medic tending to him. Hoot and his team jumps in the Humvees,
Hoot riding shotgun next to Struecker.
Struecker hits the gas. The three Humvees take off.
97
INT/EXT. THE STRUECKER/BLACKBURN CONVOY - DAY
Snipers on the rooftops fire. A hail of shots hits the trucks
like a cadence of drums.
From the Humvees the turret men return fire. Pilla blasts
away with his. 50, covering their asses.
MCKNIGHT
How're things going? Are things okay
there, Struecker?
STRUECKER
I don't want to talk about it now,
Colonel.
MCKNIGHT
Anyone hit?
(CONTINUED)
97
47.
97
CONTINUED:
97
Struecker and Hoot see a roadblock. Turns onto another street
to avoid it - two other Humvees following - and finds himself
in a killing zone. Complete chaos.
In the turret, Pilla continues to fire. On the street, a
Militia Man spin out from behind a corner and shoots Pilla
in the head.
Suddenly the view swings straight up as he's hit in the head,
flops down into the Humvee, onto a stunned Ranger - Thomas.
Struecker turns in his seat, sees Pilla bleeding on Thomas,
who is hysterical.
THOMAS
Christ, he's fucked up!
HOOT
He's dead.
CUT BETWEEN CITY CENTER AND HUMVEE
MCKNIGHT
(into radio)
Struecker, talk to me!
STRUECKER
(long pause, then)
It's Sergeant Pilla.
MCKNIGHT
What's his status? What's his status?
Hoot turns around in the Humvee, instantly assesses:
HOOT
He's dead.
STRUECKER
He's dead. He's dead.
McKnight and Steele both look stunned. Someone dead? That
just doesn't happen here.
98
INT. MATTHEW'S BLACK HAWK - SAME TIME
98
OBSERVATION BIRD PILOT
The casualties aren't gonna make it.
99
INT. JOC - SAME TIME
Garrison glances down briefly, then back up, JOC silent.
99
48.
100
INT. STRUECKER'S HUMVEE - CONTINUED
100
A stunned hush -- static -- from the speaker.
Then bullets hammer the outside of the truck -STRUECKER
Someone get on that .50!
Hoot is already climbing up into the turret.
HOOT
It's mine.
OUTSIDE - Hoot sights a line of Somali gunmen up ahead and
on building tops. Hoot lets loose with a cruel sweep of the
.50 caliber.
Huge slugs blast into the masonry -- dust and stone mixing
with crimson splatters of blood.
101
INT. WOLCOTT'S BLACK HAWK - SAME TIME
101
Wolcott flies above the city.
102
EXT. MOGADISHU STREET - SAME TIME
102
Mo'Alim drives a technical in reverse down a tight street,
keeping pace with Wolcott's circling Black Hawk.
Mo'Alim SLAMS the brakes and three Somalia jump out with RPG
tubes. Mo'Alim leaps off the vehicle. His men with the RPGs
await his signal. As the chopper turns in the sky -103
INT. WOLCOTT'S BLACK HAWK - SAME TIME
103
Busch, Delta sniper, speaks into his headset -BUSCH
I got three guys with RPGs coming up
on your side now!
104
EXT. MOGADISHU STREET - SAME TIME
104
Mo'Alim shouts, his hand drops, and his men FIRE. WHOOOSH!
105
INT. WOLCOTT'S BLACK HAWK - SAME TIME
Before Wolcott can react an RPG BOOMS into the tail rotor.
Busch's feet shoot out the cargo door.
WOLCOTT
All right, we got a hit! Stay with
it!
105
49.
106
INT. JOC - SAME TIME
106
Garrison watches the drifting Black Hawk on a screen.
RADIOMAN (V.O.)
Going down, he's hit, he's hit!
107
INT. WOLCOTT'S BLACK HAWK - CONTINUOUS
107
Wolcott and copilot Briley are the picture of calm as gauges
go blank and the helicopter begins to spin.
WOLCOTT
Hey, Bull, you wanna pull those PCLs
offline or what?
Briley, already struggling to pull the levers, returns
Wolcott's grin.
BRILEY
Roger, they're off, Elvis.
WOLCOTT
(remarkably calm)
Six one going down...
FROM EVERYONE'S POSITIONS ON THE GROUND:
Eversmann, McKnight, Steele and others watch from their
vantage points as Super Six One drifts away from their fields
of view -108
INT. WOLCOTT'S BLACK HAWK - CONTINUOUS
108
Bush grips a metal bar with one hand, chopper's spin
INTENSIFYING.
WOLCOTT
Six One going down. Hold on!
109
EXT. CRASH SITE 1 - SAME TIME
IMPACT! The Black Hawk explodes into an enormous concrete
fountain, flips sideways, slams onto the road, nose burrowing
into the dirt, control panel crumpling, glass shattering
inward -- Wolcott and Briley killed instantly. Everything
enveloped in dust.
Somalis run away in every direction.
109
50.
110
INT. JOC - DAY
110
Garrison looks at the screen. Frantic voices on the command
net echo in the room:
VOICES (V.O.)
We got a Black Hawk Down! We got a
Black Hawk Down! We got a Black Hawk
Down!
111
INT. MATTHEW'S BLACK HAWK - SAME TIME
111
HARRELL
Super Six one is down! We got a bird
down in the city!
112
INT. DURANT'S BLACK HAWK - SAME TIME
112
Durant scans the horizon.
VOICES (V.O.)
We got a Black Hawk Down! We got a
Black Hawk Down!
FLASH - to Atto in his cell, sitting perfectly still, cigar
smoke swirling around his head. It's as if he knows what's
happened...
113
INT. JOC - DAY
113
ON SCREEN - the crash.
GARRISON
(into headset)
Get an MH-6 on-site, check for
survivors. Send in the SAR bird. I
want ground forces to move and secure
a new perimeter around that crash
site. Can you guide the convoy in
there?
HARRELL (V.O.)
Ah, Roger that.
GARRISON
Well, move quick. The whole damn
city will be coming down on top of
them.
Harrell begins relaying the instructions down the chain to
the pilots.
114
EXT. CHALK ONE, HALWADIG ROAD - LATER
STEEL
Two Five, this is Six Four, over?
114
51.
115
EXT. CHALK 4 CORNER - SAME TIME
115
Eversmann trying to find out what they're supposed to do
now.
EVERSMANN
This is Two Five, over.
116
EXT. CHALK ONE, HALWADIG ROAD - CONT.
116
STEELE
Two Five, Chalk Four is closest to
the crash site, over?
117
EXT. CHALK 4 CORNER - CONT.
117
EVERSMANN
Six Four. I can't see the crash site.
Over.
118
EXT. CHALK ONE, HALWADIG ROAD - CONT.
118
Steele is trying to communicate with Eversmann on the radio.
STEELE
Two Five, it's too East of you. You
won't find it. At least secure the
area. Repeat, move your chalk on
foot to crash. Check for survivors,
secure the area. All other chalks
will follow, over?
(nothing but static)
Two Five, you read me, over?
119
EXT. CHALK 4 CORNER
119
Eversmann can't take it any longer. Signals to his men.
EVERSMANN
Goucher, Strick. Get Twombly! Hey,
there's a Black Hawk down. Twombly
Nelson, you're gonna stay here, you're
gonna hold this corner, then exit
with the Humvees. Galentine, Schmid,
you're coming with me. All right?
Let's go! Move out!
NELSON
How come I gotta stay back here?
EVERSMANN
Because you're dependable. All right,
let's go. Go!
(CONTINUED)
52.
119
CONTINUED:
119
Eversmann takes off with the rest of his Chalk: Galentine,
Yurek, Goodale, Kurth, Smith, Doc Schmid, and Waddell.
NELSON
I hate being dependable, man.
Steele looks down the block, sees a distant Eversmann and
his Chalk leaving. He can't see Nelson and Twombly behind
their cover. Steele thinks the message was received.
120
INT. JOC - LATER
120
GARRISON
We just lost the initiative.
Garrison stares at the downed Black Hawk on the screen.
121
EXT. STREETS - DAY
121
Militia and irregulars emerge from alleys and buildings around
the Bakara Market. As they begin moving east toward the crash
we RISE UP above the buildings, see some of them parallel to
the route Eversmann's small group is taking, just one block
over -EVERSMANN
Let's go!
As they become exposed around a corner, they take on heavy
fire. An RPG explodes at their feet. They return fire, throw
grenades.
Little Birds provide cover from the sky, wipe out a Somali
machine gunner, clearing the way for Eversmann's chalk.
EVERSMANN
Go!
They run and fire.
122
EXT. TARGET BUILDING - DAY
122
Somali snipers are still firing from rooftops across the
street. Wex ducks gunfire. SANDERSON BLASTS the rooftops.
WEX
We've still got guys inside.
SANDERSON
All right, all right, I'm going to
go to the crash.
(CONTINUED)
53.
122
CONTINUED:
122
WEX
Okay. You take the rest of the team;
I'll finish loading the prisoners.
Steele shouts to be heard.
STEELE
Negative! We proceed to the crash
site together! Secure the perimeter
and wait for the Humvees! Roger,
Sir!
MCKNIGHT
Roger that.
STEELE
I'll take the lead.
Sanderson stares down the block, impatient.
STEELE
Sir, are you receiving me?
SANDERSON
I heard you. We should be leaving,
sir.
As if to punctuate his point, an RPG nicks the hood of a
Humvee and explodes against the target building. Othic and
Joyce duck, McKnight doesn't. Debris rains down on the Rangers
of Chalk One and Delta men.
MCKNIGHT
All right, we need to move out now!
I'll finish loading the prisoners,
pick you up at the crash site.
MEN
(in unison)
Roger!
STEELE
Let's move out!
SANDERSON
Come on, let's go!
Chalk One and Delta element begin moving on foot toward the
distant crash. McKnight loads up the prisoners.
123
EXT. STREET - DAY
123
Steele and his men are in the lead, Delta behind. In the
rear, hugging the walls, is Grimes. Sanderson yells back --
(CONTINUED)
54.
123
CONTINUED:
123
SANDERSON
Hey, hey! Stay away from the walls,
whoever you are!
But the walls seem safe to Grimes. He's not getting away
from them even if his life depended on it, which it does. He
chugs along behind the Delta to keep up as -- He hears a
loud FWOOOSH!, turns to see -- AN RPG, streaking right at
him. Grimes DUCKS behind a low wall as it ricochets and -BA-WHOOM! -- hits right above his head.
Sanderson stops firing, looks back at Grimes who appears
behind him.
SANDERSON
You okay?
GRIMES
Yeah!
124
EXT. TARGET BUILDING - DAY
124
McKnight and Maddox jump in the Humvee and take off with the
Somali prisoners.
MCKNIGHT
Let's go, Maddox! Maddox, look at
these little skinny bastards! You
muther fuckers! Go, go, go, left,
left, left, left!
Maddox steers with his shoulders hunched in fear.
125
EXT. CHALK 4 CORNER AND STREETS - LATE AFTERNOON
Nelson and Twombly, left behind at Chalk 4, are crouched
behind a burned-out technical, reloading. There are bodies
of Somali gunmen around it.
A Black Hawk flies overhead.
NELSON
Twombly? Twombly!
TWOMBLY
What?
NELSON
I think they've forgotten us!
TWOMBLY
What?
(CONTINUED)
125
55.
125
CONTINUED:
125
NELSON
It doesn't matter.
126
INT. JOINT OPERATIONS CENTER - SAME
126
Garrison watches the grainy images from P3 Orion as Somali
militia run towards the downed Black Hawk.
OBSERVATION BIRD PILOT (V.O.)
Indigenous personnel move to the
crash.
CRIBBS
Say again, over?
OBSERVATION BIRD PILOT (V.O.)
A lot of people closing in.
GARRISON
How far is Chalk Four from the crash
site?
OPERATOR (O.S.)
About six blocks, Sir.
GARRISON (O.S.)
Well they need to haul ass!
127
INT/EXT WOLCOTT'S BLACK HAWK - DAY
127
Wolcott is dead. Dan Busch crawls out of the wreckage. He
fires, trying to keep Somali gunmen from the downed chopper.
Targets pop up. Everywhere. Busch hits every one, plugging
rounds into the fleeting forms of armed Militia.
128
INT. JOINT OPERATIONS CENTER - SAME
128
Garrison watches gunfire on the screen around the crash site.
EXT. CRASH SITE - CONT.
Busch takes a bullet in the knee and nearly goes down.
NEARBY - EVERSMANN'S GROUP
The chalk splits, moves to opposite sides of the street.
Gunfire erupts from the corner, Yurek, Kurth and Galentine
running for a burned-out car. Galentine drops his weapon as
he dives for cover.
EVERSMANN
Scotty! Scotty, are you okay?
(CONTINUED)
56.
128
CONTINUED:
128
Across the street, Eversmann watches, then glances ahead and
sees the tip of a rifle poke out from behind the edge of a
building.
Glancing back, he sees Galentine, obviously about to run
back out to retrieve his weapon in the middle of the street.
EVERSMANN
No! Don't go!
Galentine can't hear or can't understand and hurries out. To
cover him, Eversmann has to step into the street, firing at
the edge of the building.
They continue moving. Then a Technical comes up behind them,
bullets flying.
Galentine looks at his hand, covered with blood. His thumb
is hanging by a thread of skin.
129
EXT. STREETS - DAY
129
Eversmann and the others are firing nearly nonstop. It's
chaos.
YUREK
Go, go, go!
Eversmann crosses the street, ducks behind Yurek. Fires in
that direction. Yurek signals the others to move.
YUREK
Go! Go!
The rest of the group continues along the block as Yurek
cover fires at the approaching mob. He turns to follow them
as
KRATAKRATAKRAK! AK-47 gunfire wails down at Yurek, he kicks
in the tin door of the nearest structure he can find, diving
into -130
INT. SCHOOLROOM - SAME TIME
130
-- a cramped schoolroom, cluttered with terrified kids
huddling in a corner with their 16 year-old teacher.
Bullets EXPLODE through the tin door.
Bullets ZING! through the tin, explode around the room.
Yurek puts his finger over his mouth to be quiet.
(CONTINUED)
57.
130
CONTINUED:
130
The teacher stares at him, nods. She gets the message.
Yurek sees a back door. Moves over to it. Turns to the kids,
waves. One child waves back, smiles at him.
Peeks out. Clear. Steps outside.
131
EXT. BEHIND THE CLASSROOM - DAY
131
Pokes his head out to check the Street. Looks both ways as -A SOMALI GUNMAN fires at him from one direction as -- The
Somali's TEN YEAR OLD son, AK-47 too big for his little hands,
FIRES from the other direction, poorly aimed bullets
ricocheting off the crumbling alley wall, just missing Yurek,
a bullet taking the heel of his boot off.
Yurek pulls his head back just in time as -- The SOMALI MAN
groans, hit by ricochet of his son's bullets. The man crumples
to the dirt, dying.
Yurek sees the kid run past him to his father, on his knees
over his father, wailing, AK-47 forgotten. Yurek holds his
gun on dying father and son. About to fire. Doesn't. Then
runs.
132
EXT. HALWADIG ROAD - DAY
132
The McKnight Humvee convoy starts up Halwadig. A voice
crackles through the radio:
OBSERVATION BIRD PILOT (V.O.)
Unit One, this is Six Four, you have
to slow down.
INSIDE MCKNIGHT'S HUMVEE
MCKNIGHT
Romeo, Six Four, I need to know before
I get to the god damned street!
133
INT. MATTHEWS C2 BIRD - SAME
133
OBSERVATION BIRD PILOT
You have to slow down, there's a
delay from the time directions are
relayed from P-3, to JOC, then to
me.
134
INSIDE MCKNIGHT'S HUMVEE
134
McKnight yells back through the radio.
(CONTINUED)
58.
134
CONTINUED:
134
MCKNIGHT
We can't slow down! We're taking
heavy enemy fire! We can't slow down!
135
EXT. BASE HANGAR - DAY
135
Sizemore is among thirty technicians, mechanics and cooks,
all gathered around a big radio, listening with dawning horror
at the drama out there.
136
INT. JOINT OPERATIONS CENTER - LATER
136
GENERAL GARRISON
(standing, to Cribbs)
What in the hell is the status of
Struecker's Humvees?
CRIBBS
General Harrell, ETA to base,
Strueker's column?
137
EXT./INT. STRUEKER'S COLUMN - DAY
137
The convoy rumbles down the road. Thomas holds a bloody Pilla.
Hoot stands at the turret gun, no longer firing -- in a daze.
138
EXT. CRASH SITE - DAY
138
Busch leans against the chopper wall surrounded by a dozen
dead Somali gunmen shot at close range. Busch's face is gray.
Blood streams down his nose.
139
INT. JOC - SAME
139
SILENCE. Garrison watches the Orion plane's grainy image of
Maier landing his Little Bird at the crash site.
140
EXT. CRASH SITE - DAY
140
A dust storm kicks up as Maier and his copilot Jones set the
Little Bird down in front of Wolcott's crashed Black Hawk.
141
EXT. ADJACENT ALLEY TO BLACK HAWK CRASH - LATER
Eversmann and his guys come around the corner. Through a
massive city archway, they can see Wolcott's downed chopper,
lying on its side. Little Bird whirling in front of it.
Eversmann motions for his men to follow him. They charge
through the enormous city gate, bullets slapping around them.
141
59.
142
EXT. CRASH SITE - DAY
142
Clark and Jones run toward the crash from their Little Bird.
Finds Busch leaning against the Black Hawk, weapon aimed.
Jones and Clark throw Busch's arm over their shoulders, and
the three move to the chopper. Somali gunfire raining around
them.
143
EXT. ADJACENT ALLEY TO BLACK HAWK CRASH - SAME
EVERSMANN
Galentine, you alright?
(Galentine nods)
Covering fire! Go!
GALENTINE
We'll cover!
Eversmann and his team run in to the crash site. They are
now in an enormous open area, four roads leading out -- four
possible lanes of fire to worry about.
Jones and Clarke get the limp Dan Busch into the Little Bird
as Eversmann charges over, shouts:
EVERSMANN
Hey, how many are in there?
JONES
Two pilots are dead. Two crew chiefs
are wounded. This guy's hurt bad. We
gotta get out of here, now!
EVERSMANN
Okay.
Jones helps Clarke inside, jumps in, Maier lifting off into
the swirling dust as RPGs explode around the Little Bird.
Eversmann crouches low, bullets pinging around him as he
dashes to the downed chopper. Sees Wolcott's dead body.
The Little Bird flies away.
A Technical ROARS down the street. A Ranger shoots a rocket
at it. It bursts into flames as Eversmann sprints from
Wolcott's Black Hawk, joins Smith and Goodale in a mortar
cavity carved into a wall.
EVERSMANN
(into radio)
Two Six, Two Six, this is Two Five.
(CONTINUED)
143
60.
143
CONTINUED:
143
EVERSMANN
The guys are shooting up the
technicals, over!
EXT. CORNER NEAR WOLCOTT CRASH SITE - CONT.
As Di Tomasso's Chalk 3 arrives at one of the cross streets,
he answers Eversmann.
DI TOMASSO
Two Six, Two Six, roger that!
EVERSMANN
Di Tomasso! Take the Southeast border,
we'll set up a perimeter, over?
DI TOMASSO
Delta two Six, Roger that. Moving my
men out. Move out!
Di Tomasso nods and waves his men to a structure on the
Southeast corner. They move and take immediate heavy fire.
EVERSMANN
Captain Steele, Captain Steele, come
in!
144
INTERCUT TO STEELE -
144
STEELE
Go ahead Two Five, this is Six Four!
EVERSMANN
We got two wounded and we got both
the pilots dead in the chopper. We
need a medivac over here now!
STEELE
Two Five, they're telling me it's
too hot to land the birds. You gotta
secure the perimeter first, over.
EVERSMANN
Where are the Humvees?
STEELE
Advise Two Five the convoy will be
there. They're encountering light
resistance. Six Four out.
Eversmann signals to Kurth.
EVERSMANN
Kurth!
(CONTINUED)
61.
144
CONTINUED:
144
KURTH
Let's go!
They move out.
145
EXT. BASE HANGAR - DAY
145
STRUECKER'S THREE HUMVEES PULL IN to the Hangar area. Hundreds
swarm toward them.
RANGER
Hey, we need a medic! Hey, we need a
medic immediately to get this last
load in!
Bloody bodies are carried out of the Humvees on stretchers.
Sizemore, cast on his arm, watches as Pilla is taken out,
dead. Blackburn, broken. Half the others, bleeding.
IN A HUMVEE -- Hoot's head peers in. There's already the
buzzing of flies over the pools of blood and gristle.
146
INT/EXT. MCKNIGHT'S CONVOY - DAY
146
Light resistance? It's the fucking end of the world -- swarms
of bullets raking the Humvee squad, RPGs streaking by with
deadly whispers, exploding into walls. A .50 gunner slumps
down in the turret, hit.
MCKNIGHT
Get the .50 up! God dammit!
A Ranger tries, can't get through the bodies blocking the
way.
MCKNIGHT
All I see is a roadblock.
147
INT. MATTHEWS C2 BIRD - SAME TIME
147
HARRELL
Alright, I'm going to have to figure
out another way.
ON THE HUMVEE BEHIND - an RPG hits the back of the vehicle,
flinging Alberto Rodriguez, Wex and another man into the
street like unwanted toys during a child's tantrum.
MCKNIGHT
(leaping out, shouts)
Give me a defensive perimeter so we
can load the wounded!
(CONTINUED)
62.
147
CONTINUED:
147
Joyce, Kowalewski and other Rangers leap out, firing at
windows, doorways, rooftops. Othic nearly steps on a hand in
the street, doesn't know whose it is. He'll figure it out
later; puts it in his pocket.
RANGER
Fire your weapon, Othic!
McKnight comes upon the writhing Wex. The Delta Operator has
no lower half of his body.
Wex is muttering something, somehow still alive, reaching up
at McKnight, taking his hand and squeezing.
WEX
Tell my girls they'll be okay.
McKnight watches him die. Then yells out.
MCKNIGHT
Othic!
Othic runs low -- to McKnight's side.
MCKNIGHT
Medic!
Othic and a medic carry Wex, put him inside the Humvee..
Joyce returns fire. Then takes a shot in the back where he
removed the vest panel. Crumples to the street.
Kowalewski and McKnight drag Joyce's limp body toward the
trucks.
148
INT. MATTHEW'S BLACK HAWK - DAY
148
MCKNIGHT (V.O.)
Get us off this fucking street!
(into radio)
Where's the crash site? Say again?
HARRELL
Keep going straight 200 meters.
MCKNIGHT (V.O.)
Okay.
INT. MCKNIGHT'S HUMVEE - CONT.
McKnight hops into the cab, bullets again exploding into the
convoy, SHOUTS to Maddox -
(CONTINUED)
63.
148
CONTINUED:
148
MCKNIGHT
Let's go, let's go!
149
EXT. CHALK 4 CORNER AND STREETS - SAME
149
Silence. Nelson and Twombly, left behind at Chalk 4, are
crouched in their bunker, reloading. There are bodies of
Somali gunmen around it.
But now, there is nothing but sporadic gunfire on the corner.
Nelson glances back down the block toward the target house.
NELSON
Hey, Twombles?
TWOMBLY
What?
Twombly stands and moves over to Nelson.
NELSON
Come here! The Humvees ain't coming
back, dude.
TWOMBLY
Really? Were we supposed to go to
them?
NELSON
I thought they were supposed to come
to us.
TWOMBLY
Shit, I think we were supposed to go
to them.
NELSON
Shit!
TWOMBLY
Okay, let's go to the crash site.
NELSON
Okay. Just don't fire that thing so
close to my head. I can barely hear
as it is.
TWOMBLY
Okay, move out.
Nelson goes first. He makes it half a block before bullets
start ticking the walls around him. Twombly covers. Nelson
dives behind another smoldering automobile carcass, turns
and covers as Twombly dives in beside him.
(CONTINUED)
64.
149
CONTINUED:
149
Suddenly an armed figure appears across the street; Twombly
fires inches from Nelson's head. The gunman falls as the
enormous boom of the SAW rings in Nelson's ears. He yells -NELSON
WHAT DID I JUST TELL YOU? I SWEAR TO
GOD IF YOU EVER...
Another figure appears, and Twombly has to fire again.
NELSON
(in pain)
AH!
TWOMBLY
You okay? You alright?
NELSON
(can't hear a thing shouting)
What?
150
INT. BUILDING - DAY
150
Militia with RPGs strapped to their backs climb steps for a
better angle on the hovering Six Eight Black Hawk.
151
INT. SIX EIGHT BLACK HAWK - DAY
151
The Black Hawk takes fire.
SIX EIGHT PILOT
Sunnavabitch. C2, this is Six Eight,
we've been hit.
152
INT. MATTHEW'S BLACK HAWK - DAY
152
HARRELL
(into radio)
Super Six Eight, there is smoke coming
from the top of your rotor. Advise
you to come out now.
SIX EIGHT PILOT
Roger.
153
EXT. 4TH FLOOR BUILDING - SAME
The Somalis set up to fire their RPGs at the Black Hawk.
153
65.
154
INT. SIX EIGHT BLACK HAWK - SAME
154
SIX EIGHT PILOT
Art, I've got skinnies with RPG's at
12 o'clock, can you see them?
Rangers slide down the ropes.
RANGER 2
Go, go!
SIX EIGHT GUNNER
Got 'em. Give me 90 degrees left.
155
EXT. 4TH FLOOR BUILDING - SAME
155
They're about to fire as the Black Hawk banks. Relentless
machine gun fire from the Black Hawk mows them down inside
the building.
156
INT. SIX EIGHT BLACK HAWK - SAME
156
SIX EIGHT PILOT
Six Eight, coming out.
He banks the chopper away.
HARRELL (V.O.)
Super Six Eight is out.
157
EXT. CHALK 4 CORNER AND STREETS - SAME
157
Eversmann runs for cover behind upended trucks.
EVERSMANN
Galentine! What's the situation in
there?
158
INSIDE WOLCOTT'S DOWNED BLACK HAWK -
158
GALENTINE
Both pilots are dead.
WILKINSON
(into radio)
Two Five, we can't move these guys
now. We'll kill 'em just carrying
'em.
(to other Medic)
Stabilize in here?
GALENTINE
Roger!
(CONTINUED)
66.
158
CONTINUED:
158
WILKINSON
Stabilize in here. Repeat, stabilize
in the bird, over.
BACK TO EVERSMANN
EVERSMANN
Understood Wilky, we got you covered,
over.
159
INT. MATTHEW'S BLACK HAWK - SAME
159
HARRELL
(into radio)
Super Six Four, come in and take
Wolcott's position.
160
INT. DURANT'S BLACK HAWK - SAME
160
DURANT
Roger. Six Four's inbound.
He banks back toward the city center. Passes over rooftops.
161
EXT. MOGADISHU STREET - SAME
161
Militants with RPGs fire at Durant's chopper.
An RPG missile streaks into Durant's chopper's tail. The
Black Hawk rocks violently from the hit. The gauges blink
but stay lit. Durant hears in his headset HARRELL (V.O.)
Super Six Four, you all right?
162
INT. DURANT'S BLACK HAWK - SAME TIME
162
DURANT
This is Super Six Four. We're good.
163
INT. MATTHEW'S BLACK HAWK - SAME TIME
163
HARRELL
You sure? You look like you got
clipped pretty good.
164
INT. DURANT'S BLACK HAWK - SAME TIME
164
Durant and his copilot, Frank, check the gauges again.
(CONTINUED)
67.
164
CONTINUED:
164
DURANT
Instrument panels are okay. No, we're
good. Got a slight vibration in the
pedals. But we're good.
165
INT. MATTHEW'S BLACK HAWK - SAME TIME
165
HARRELL
All right. Put it down on the
airfield, Super Six Four, have it
checked out. Just to be safe.
166
INT./EXT DURANT'S BLACK HAWK - SAME TIME
166
DURANT
Roger.
Durant banks away from the crash site, heads south toward
base, grid of narrow streets and alleys rushing beneath him.
OUTSIDE, the bent tail rotor is looser and rattling louder.
DURANT
Hey Ray, I'm getting a lot of movement
in these pedals. Check the systems.
167
SUDDENLY -
167
THE ROTOR PIN PULLS FREE, slices through the gear box, and
the entire tail assembly evaporates in a blur.
Inside, there's a high whine as the airframe vibrates. Durant
tries to correct the spin with the pedals; Frank kills the
power with the ceiling levers.
DURANT
We lost the tail rudder! Six Four's
going down. Six Four going down!
168
INT. JOC - SAME
168
SILENCE... Garrison watches the Orion plane's grainy image
of Durant's Black Hawk crashing. Eyes locked on the monitor MONITOR - Durant's chopper hits the ground, crumpling, twists
into the dirt like a whale on the beach, main rotor still
chopping at the air like a gasp.
After stunned silence in the JOC, Garrison finally speaks.
(CONTINUED)
68.
168
CONTINUED:
168
GARRISON
Get Struecker's column back up there.
They need to get to Durant's crash
site, fast.
OPERATOR
I'm on it.
GARRISON
All of them.
HARRELL (V.O.)
Super Six Four is down.
169
EXT. CRASH SITE - DAY
169
Militiamen and Rangers exchange gunfire. Eversmann glances
over at Galentine, ghostly white, listening to his radio.
EVERSMANN
What?
Then Eversmann's hip radio squawks, and he hears the voices
on the command net:
RADIO VOICES
Bird down! Super Six Four is down.
Eversmann, looks at the faces of his chalk.
EVERSMANN
They talking about another hawk?
His men nod.
170
EXT. MOGADISHU CORNER/NEAR THE 4TH FLOOR BUILDING - DAY
170
Steele and his thirty some Rangers have entered a killing
zone. Spread all over the road, his men are pinned down by
gunfire from a fourth floor window in a building around the
corner. They can't move forward down the street.
DOWN THE STREET - Sanderson and his Delta (and Grimes) are
pinned down, waiting to move. Sanderson shouts through the
walkie talkie:
SANDERSON
Captain Steele, we gotta move or
we're gonna get pinned down!
171
INTERCUT TO STEELE -
171
(CONTINUED)
69.
171
CONTINUED:
171
STEELE
We're moving as fast as we can! You
let me do my job and you do yours!
Over!
SANDERSON
We're gonna get chewed up if we don't
get off this street.
172
EXT. MOGADISHU CORNER/NEAR THE FLOOR BUILDING - DAY
Ruiz fires when he's suddenly lifted and thrown against a
wall, blood spraying out his back, bullet entering just under
his vest.
RUIZ
Fuck! Fuck! Fuck, fuck, I fucking
knew I was gonna get shot!
Steele and his Rangers are still pinned down. Steele hovers
over Ruiz.
STEELE
Medic!
A Ranger MEDIC crouches along the street, gunfire blasting
over his head. Starts working on Ruiz.
DOWN THE BLOCK - as bullets whiz past he and his Delta team,
SANDERSON mutters to himself -SANDERSON
Fuck this.
(into radio)
Cap'n Steele, we'll take out the
window, we'll rally point at the
gray building. Coming through,
Captain!
ON STEELE - he looks back at Sanderson and Delta down the
block behind him.
STEELE
Sergeant!
SANDERSON
All right, let's move, let's move!
SANDERSON clicks off the radio. Gives Delta command by hand
signals. The Delta team moves down the block.
Grimes looks behind him. No one there. He takes a deep breath
and hustles after Delta.
ON STEELE - his position is under BLISTERING fire.
(CONTINUED)
172
70.
172
CONTINUED:
172
Sanderson and Delta - pass Steele and his beleaguered Rangers
without a second glance. Grimes keeps following Delta.
KRATAKRATAKRAK! Bullets immediately track the Delta team
from the fourth floor window.
SANDERSON
Move! Move! Move!
As DELTA move in a crouch alongside a five foot high earthen
mound.
Bullets kick up plumes of dirt along the crest of the mound
above Delta's heads as -SANDERSON pulls a grenade, yanks the pin and runs up the
earthen mound, hurls the grenade four stories into the open
window -- a perfect toss.
A MOMENT LATER -- the room explodes, shredded Somali bodies
hurtling outward. More bullets rain at them from every
direction:
SANDERSON
Let's go! Let's move!
Grimes runs along the earthen mound again. More bullets rip
past him as he runs.
Steele and his Rangers follow the Deltas.
STEELE
Move it!
173
EXT. STABLE - DAY
173
Bullets rain down on Delta from every conceivable direction
as they sprint to the first cover they can find. Sanderson
is behind them and dives into -174
INT. STABLE A STABLE - no living animals here. Carcasses, bones, piles
of moldering hay, ratty couch in a corner. High stone
courtyard walls protect them from Somali bullets.
Grimes, covered in concrete powder, runs inside.
SANDERSON
Come on, come on! Let's go, let's
go! Come on, bring 'em down!
174
71.
175
INT/EXT STEELE'S STABLE COURTYARD - DAY
175
As Steele and other Rangers spill into the filthy stable
courtyard an RPG blasts the building. Rangers are helping
wounded comrades through the doorway, while groups of others
carry seriously wounded men.
SANDERSON
Grab him! Move him! Move him out of
here! Go, go, go!
Steele whirls on SANDERSON, furious.
STEELE
What the fuck are you doing out there?
SANDERSON
Doing my job! Look, we gotta get to
that crash site! We gotta get on
that street and we gotta move! Now
you have got to keep up, Sir!
Steele says under his breath so the others won't hear:
STEELE
(livid)
We are combat ineffective. We've got
too many dang wounded to move.
SANDERSON
Then give me some of your shooters
and that'll get us closer to the
bird!
Steele nods. His eyes travel around the room. His Rangers
are blood spattered, dazed, shell-shocked. Most are frankly
terrified. His gaze falls on Grimes.
STEELE
Grimes! You're with Chalk Four!
Grimes flinches.
GRIMES
Yes, Sir!
Steele speaks to his Rangers, but he's looking right at
Sanderson as he says:
STEELE
All right, who's going with Delta?
Grimes joins with Sergeant Eversmann.
Grimes' face falls.
(CONTINUED)
72.
175
CONTINUED:
175
STEELE
The rest of you men secure the
position. Treat the wounded, and
we'll wait for the convoy. Then we'll
rally at the crash site. Roger!
The other Rangers breathe a sigh of relief. Sanderson gives
Grimes a once over. Shakes his head. This is who he gets?
Finally he sighs, grabs his weapon.
SANDERSON
My guys, let's go!
STEELE
All right, let's cover him!
A look from SANDERSON is all Delta needs to let them know
they're moving out. They start filing back out into the
dangerous streets.
Grimes heads to the door, uncertain. With a last look back
at Steele, Grimes readies himself. Then he runs after Delta.
176
EXT. STREET - DAY
176
Sanderson and Delta emerge from the stable, Grimes trailing.
Delta are fluid, moving from cover to cover, fanning out on
either side of the street. Grimes hustles after them.
177
EXT. CRASH SITE - LATE AFTERNOON
177
Silence. Strapped to the seat of his downed Black Hawk, Durant
slowly comes to.
178
INT./EXT. GOFFENA'S BLACK HAWK - DAY
178
Circling, Goffena and his copilot Yacone can see Durant's
downed Black Hawk below.
In back, also looking down at it, are Delta snipers Shughart
and Gordon.
There's a crowd moving toward the crash from several blocks
away.
GOFFENA RADIOS GOFFENA
Romeo; Six Two. I got two Delta
snipers volunteering to go in to
secure Crash Site 2, over.
(CONTINUED)
73.
178
CONTINUED:
178
MATTHEWS (V.O.)
No, Six Two, that is negative to the
request.
179
INT. MATTHEW'S BLACK HAWK - SAME TIME
179
MATTHEWS
We don't see anything moving down
there now. We don't even know if
anyone's alive. A ground team is
being organized to go in now.
GOFFENA
ETA of ground team, over?
MATTHEWS
Ah, unknown. Not long. Do what you
can from the air.
180
EXT. CRASH SITE - LATE AFTERNOON
180
Still trapped to his seat, Durant sees through the shattered
windshield the Black Hawk flying overhead.
181
ETX. BASE GARAGE - DAY
181
STRUECKER STANDS BEFORE THE BATTERED HUMVEES.
STRUECKER
All right, gather around! All right,
Durant's Six Four is down.
(Rangers mutter in
anger)
We're going back in to get 'em.
Now there is a prolonged silence. Rangers look at him like
he's nuts. Three Humvees behind him are bloody Swiss cheese.
THOMAS
That's crazy! Is there anyone alive
on that?
Thomas looks at other Rangers, some just as scared as he is.
STRUECKER
It doesn't matter. No one gets left
behind. You know that.
HOOT
We're wasting time here.
STRUECKER
All right! Refit, max out ammo and
grenades. You've got five.
(CONTINUED)
74.
181
CONTINUED:
181
SIZEMORE is gearing up, wearing unlaced boots, swimming in
an enormous extra flak vest.
STRUECKER
Sizemore, where the hell do you think
you're going?
SIZEMORE
With you guys.
STRUECKER
Not with that cast on you're not.
Sizemore pulls out his survival knife and goes to cut off
his cast.
STRUECKER
All right, all right, all right. Go
get your K-pak.
Struecker moves off to get ammo and sees Thomas' worried
face.
STRUECKER
Hey, talk to me.
THOMAS
I can't go back out there.
STRUECKER
Thomas, everyone feels the same way
you do, all right? It's what you do
right now that makes a difference.
It's your call. Hooah!
Struecker walks off.
THOMAS
Hooah.
182
INT. BASE GARAGE - LATER
Hoot slaps in a magazine, already re -- supplied with grenades
and ammo. He grabs a bunch of night vision goggles, slips
them in a pack. Rangers stare at him.
Struecker is grabbing ammo when Hoot pulls him aside.
HOOT
It'll probably help to wash the blood
out of the Humvees.
182
75.
183
EXT. BASE GARAGE - DAY
183
Struecker's Humvees are slowly pulling out, everyone, from
company cooks to mechanics running after it, geared up with
borrowed armor, leaping on, wanting to join in the fight.
Thomas watches Struecker's loaded Humvee.
BASE RANGER
(running alongside)
Sergeant Struecker, wait! Sergeant
Struecker! Can I go, Sir?
STRUECKER
You got some ammo?
(the Ranger does)
Hop in.
Struecker looks back at Thomas.
Thomas, taking a hit from his inhaler, finally summons the
courage, runs to catch up.
THOMAS
Sergeant!
Pulls the door open and jumps in.
184
EXT. DARKENED STREET CORNER - SUNSET
184
Nelson and Twombly, still looking for crash site one, charge
to a corner. The random burst of gunfire keeps them on edge.
TWOMBLY
Which way?
Twombly shrugs: which way? He motions down the street, left
or right?
Nelson looks down the street.
NELSON
(shouting)
That way I think.
TWOMBLY
(whispering)
Sshh! Don't talk so fucking loud!
Twombly hears something, coming down the block, a strange
sound. -- clop, clack, clop. Motions Nelson back. Sound
growing louder, closer.
(CONTINUED)
76.
184
CONTINUED:
184
Eyes wide, Twombly aims his SAW as --A DONKEY comes clopping
past, pulling a cart without a driver. The animal briskly
trots past Twombly, who nearly blew it head off. Twombly
motions to Nelson. They RUN.
DOWN THE BLOCK - on a different corner, YUREK is pressed
against an alley wall, terrified, alone, eyes wide. Hears a
ghostly, disturbing sound, coming closer -- clop, clop, clop.
Yurek prepares himself, gun aimed. The same donkey comes
clattering into the alley, walks right up to the stunned
Yurek.
YUREK
Nice donkey.
Yurek pats its head as he takes a look out into the wide
intersection. Then he bolts -- RUNNING around a corner, down
another block, around another corner.
TWOMBLY AND NELSON level their weapons at him and start
shooting.
YUREK
Rangers!
NELSON
Who?
YUREK
It's Yurek, you fucking assholes!
TWOMBLY
Fuck! No, we almost fucking killed
you! Oh, come to us!
Yurek, completely out of breath; tries to speak.
YUREK
Fuck You! Come to me!
Twombly and Nelson run to Yurek.
NELSON
Sorry Sarge.
TWOMBLY
Okay, never mind. You brought the
NOD, right?
Yurek gives him a weary Look. Gasps out --
(CONTINUED)
77.
184
CONTINUED: (2)
184
YUREK
No. No, I didn't bring it. And you
want to know why? `Cause you said:
You're not gonna need that, dude,
we'll be back in a half hour.
TWOMBLY
Man, I wasn't saying it to you.
YUREK
(looks at Nelson)
Nelson, cover this way.
Nelson doesn't hear him.
TWOMBLY
Man, we're gonna need night vision.
Yurek grabs Nelson. Nelson turns around.
YUREK
What's the matter with you?
NELSON
Huh?
TWOMBLY
Oh, he's deaf. It's my fault, I...
We really need to get out of here.
YUREK
We can't be far from the crash. Which
way?
TWOMBLY
I thought you might know.
They take off down the street.
185
EXT. CRASH SITE - DAY
185
Eversmann's men are shooting constantly, trying to keep the
growing crowd of Somalis from the downed chopper.
EVERSMANN
(To Galentine)
Give me Nelson and Twombly now!
Galentine nods and clicks the handset of his radio, shouting
over the sounds of gunfire.
(CONTINUED)
78.
185
CONTINUED:
185
GALENTINE
Nelson... Twombly, come in! This is
Galentine. Over. Nelson, Twombly,
come in, this is Galentine! We need
the position of the convoy, over?
Galentine shouts in frustration:
GALENTINE
I can't raise them, Sergeant! I can't
raise them!
Eversmann swears under his breath as bullets EXPLODE over
his head.
EVERSMANN
We gotta get the fuck out of here
and evac!
GOODALE
No, we can't move `em. We're staying
right here until the convoy gets
here! Understood?
(to all his men)
We stay with the plan. Understood?
EVERSMANN
Let's get back to the stronghold!
Come on!
186
INT. JOINT OPERATIONS CENTER - LATER
Cribbs points to the map of Mogadishu. A big X represents
Wolcott's crash, another, further away, Durant's crash.
CRIBBS
Ground forces have occupied several
buildings along Marehan Road -they're all spread out. Eversmann's
Chalk Four has set up a perimeter
around Wolcott's crash site, here.
(marks a spot)
Id Tomasso is in the adjacent
structure.
(marks a more distant
spot)
Captain Steele and about forty men
of Rangers are here, a couple blocks
away. They're banged up pretty bad.
He's set up a casualty collection
point. I, I don't think they're gonna
be able to move. Sergeant Sanderson
and a small Delta team are moving
from Steele's position to the crash
site as we speak.
186
79.
187
EXT. STREET NEAR CRASH - SUNSET
187
Sanderson is behind wreckage made by a mortar blast. He sees
Grimes near him, wonders briefly where he came from.
SANDERSON
When this guy stops firing, I'll
have four seconds to get to their
corner. Cover me. Go!
Grimes nods as bullets SLAM into the wall above them. Grimes
runs forward.
The gunfire pauses.
Before Sanderson can move, Grimes has leapt out of the crater.
GRIMES
I got it!
GRIMES - charging the corner, seemingly taking forever to
get there. He rounds the corner and comes face to face with -TWO SOMALI gunman, frantically trying to change magazines as
they see Grimes sliding to a stop before them. They slap in
the mags, raise their weapons, but -- Grimes waves a burst
of gunfire over them.
188
GRIMES TURNS TO SANDERSON -
188
SANDERSON
(shouting)
RPG!
An RPG slams into the wall behind Grimes, burying him in
debris. This time he must be dead.
Sanderson charges to the mound of rubble, tossing aside thirtypound chunks of mortar and concrete. Sanderson pulls Grimes
out, dazed, hair blackened, helmet gone.
SANDERSON
(CONT'D) You all right? You okay,
man?
GRIMES
Yeah! I can hear bells ringing.
Sanderson gives Grimes a nod and a thumbs up.
SANDERSON
(laughs)
Come on, come on! Let's go!
(CONTINUED)
80.
188
CONTINUED:
188
Sanderson helps Grimes up.
189
INT./EXT. GOFFENA'S BLACK HAWK - LATE AFTERNOON
189
A crowd scatters from the low-flying Black Hawk but then
reforms again, heading toward Durant's crashed chopper.
Goffena sweeps around to make another pass.
GOFFENA
Romeo, Shughart and Gordon again
request permission to secure until
convoy arrives, over.
190
INT. JOC -SAME TIME
190
Garrison watches crowds of Somalis charge down the street on
the screen.
191
INT. MATTHEWS C2 BIRD - SAME TIME
191
Matthews can barely hear Goffena over the frantic voices of
the command net. He reaches out and SHUTS down all radio
channels. Silence except for rotors. Speaks to Harrell:
HARRELL
General, crowd's in the hundreds
now. From where they are, they can
see it clearer than any of us. They
know what they're asking.
192
INT. JOC - SAME TIME
192
Silence except for the static. finally -GARRISON
Let me talk to them.
193
INT. GOFFENA'S BLACK HAWK - SAME TIME
193
Shughart and Gordon hear over their headsets -GARRISON (V.O.)
This is Garrison. I want to make
sure that ya'll understand what you're
asking for so say it out loud.
GORDON
We're asking to go in to set up a
perimeter until ground support
arrives.
INTERCUT to Garrison -
(CONTINUED)
81.
193
CONTINUED:
193
GARRISON
Now you understand I can not tell
you when that might be. It could
take quite a while.
SHUGHART
Roger that.
GARRISON (V.O.)
And you still want to go in?
GORDON
Yes, sir.
194
BACK IN THE JOC -
194
Garrison chews on this for a moment. Then:
GARRISON
Colonel Harrell.
HARRELL (V.O.)
Yes, General.
GARRISON
It's your call.
HARRELL (V.O.)
Roger that. Goffena? Put 'em in.
195
BACK IN GOFFENA'S BLACK HAWK -
195
Goffena turns and gives Shughart and Gordon the thumbs up.
196
INT. DURANT'S BLACK HAWK - LATER
196
Visible through the windscreen, Durant looks up at the Delta
snipers in the chopper above and sees Goffena's Black Hawk
fly off.
197
EXT. MOGADISHU STREETS - LATER
197
McKnight's convoy rolls through a hail of gun fire.
INT. MCKNIGHT'S HUMVEE - CONT.
McKnight shakes his head as casings rain down on him from
the gun turret above.
MCKNIGHT
Mother fucker, mother fucker!
The Humvee takes fire from all sides.
(CONTINUED)
82.
197
CONTINUED:
197
INT. FIVE TON TRUCK - CONT.
A shaft of light tears through the door and into Othic's
shoulder. A round hits Othic in the knee. He screams and
then sees an RPG coming straight at the driver's door.
OTHIC
RPG!
The RPG comes crashing through the metal -- but doesn't
explode.
The convoy stops.
McKnight walks to Alphabet's truck and yanks the door open.
Dazed, Othic looks to Kowalewski: there's a foot long RPG
missile embedded in his chest, fins sticking out his left
side, arm severed off. Kowalewski is dead.
OTHIC
There's a fucking bomb in him, Sir.
MCKNIGHT
Othic, calm down, god dammit! That's
live ammo! Now get out!
Othic jumps out of the Humvee. McKnight gets Kowalewski out
of the truck.
MCKNIGHT
Come on, let's move him. Son of a
bitch!
The men lift the dead Kowalewski to a Humvee.
MCKNIGHT
All right, lift him up, lift him up.
Easy, easy, all right, get him in
there. Good, good, easy, easy!
Othic tries to climb into the Humvee as well as the men
gingerly load Kowalewski in to the back.
MCKNIGHT
Get back in that truck and drive.
OTHIC
I'm shot, Colonel.
MCKNIGHT
Everybody's shot. We need the
prisoners. Let's go!
83.
198
INT. MATTHEWS C2 BIRD - LATER
198
A voice crackles through the radio.
RADIO VOICE (V.O.)
C3 says to take Halwadig and take it
straight.
HARRELL
McKnight, we need you to turn around
and head back to Halwadig.
INTERCUT to McKnight - radios back -MCKNIGHT
You're shitting me. We just came
through there. There's gotta be a
better way!
HARRELL
That's the info I'm getting from
JOC. You need to turn around and
head back.
McKnight looks at Maddox. Shakes his head.
MCKNIGHT
Roger that, roger that. I cannot
believe this shit.
(sighs)
Turn us around, Maddox.
MADDOX
They're trying to get us fucking
killed, aren't they, Sir?
MCKNIGHT
Just get it over with. Drive!
MADDOX
God damn!
MCKNIGHT
Just, just get us outta here, god
dammit! Drive!
Resigned, Maddox executes a K-turn. The column slowly turns
around.
Maddox hits the gas. They head right back into the fray.
Hell begins anew. HUNDREDS of rounds RAKE the vehicles,
punching holes through metal.
The windshield SHATTERS, spraying glass into Maddox's face.
(CONTINUED)
84.
198
CONTINUED:
198
MADDOX
AHHH! I'm blind.
(grabs the wheel)
Keep your foot on the gas!
A bullet PINGS into the doorframe next to McKnight, slices
into his neck. Blood sprays the dashboard.
MCKNIGHT
Fuck!
He presses a hand on his wound.
Maddox's face is a mass of blood, hands to his eyes. But he
keeps stepping on the pedal, McKnight steering, neck bleeding.
199
EXT. CRASH SITE - LATE AFTERNOON
199
Still strapped to his seat Durant sees the Black Hawk flying
overhead.
Hears Somali voices, yelling, coming closer. Tries to reach
back for his rifle, grunts in agony, back damaged. Can't get
to it. Sweating, reaching, swearing in pain as -- SOMALI
FACES appear in his windscreen, raise their AKs at him. Durant
raises one arm to protect himself as he fires -- the first
Somali gunmen's chest EXPLODES.
Gordon and Shughart land. GUNFIRE raging as they charge toward
the chopper.
DURANT - Somalis charge the Black Hawk. Durant fires away.
He sees Shughart and Gordon rounding the corner, boots
slapping earth. Appearing like angels. They fire at the
approaching Somalis. Shughart bangs on the Black Hawk.
SHUGHART
Friendlies!
Shughart checks Frank's pulse.
DURANT
God, it's good to see!
GORDON
Oh, it's good to see you. How bad?
DURANT
My leg's broken. My back feels kinda
weird.
(CONTINUED)
85.
199
CONTINUED:
199
GORDON
We gotta get you outta here, buddy.
I'm pulling him out. Cover!
Gordon gently lifts Durant from the chopper and he screams
in pain. Shughart covers.
SHUGHART
I'm gonna put you down.
They prop him against a wall.
GORDON
Cross, we're at the Six Four crash
sight, securing the perimeter. You
all right?
DURANT
Yeah, I'm good.
Shughart puts Durant's MP-5 in his hands.
GORDON
You're locked and loaded. If you see
anyone come around these corners -you watch your back.
Shughart and Gordon run back to the crash site.
DURANT
Hey! Where's the rescue squad?
GORDON WHIRLS, SAYS:
SHUGHART
We're it!
Durant is left alone, cradling his MP-5.
200
INT. STABLE - DAY
200
Steele talks to Harrell on the radio.
STEELE
C2, you keep talking about a convoy,
I would dearly like to know where in
sam hill that is, over?
HARRELL (V.O.)
Perimeter has to be tighter for the
convoy. You're too far from the crash.
They spread out like that, and you're
all liable to be overrun. Over.
(CONTINUED)
86.
200
CONTINUED:
200
STEELE
C2, if I use two men for each wounded,
I still got nobody left to shoot.
Now, we're staying where we are,
over?
Ruiz sighs.
201
EXT. STREETS - DAY
201
In the lead Humvee of the Lost Convoy, Maddox mops at his
bloodied face while McKnight, peering out the broken
windshield, drives, his neck a mess of blood...
McKnight finds himself in front of a familiar building -the target building.
MCKNIGHT
Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, Maddox,
stop!
INT. MCKNIGHT'S HUMVEE - CONT.
Maddox face is a bloody mess. He slams on the brakes.
MCKNIGHT
(resigned, into radio)
Son of a bitch! Romeo Six Four,
we're right back where we started!
I'm running low on ammo. I got many
wounded, including me. Vehicles that
are barely running.
HARRELL (V.O.)
Okay, Danny, I need a no b.s.
assessment here. Can you get to the
crash site?
McKnight hears groans of the wounded in back, sounds of tire
rims grinding on the road, bullets smacking into metal.
MADDOX
Colonel, I can't see shit.
MCKNIGHT
Negative. With the amount of wounded
we have, we'd do more harm than good.
We need to come back to base, rearm
and regroup and then we can go back
out.
HARRELL
Roger.
87.
202
INT. JOC - SAME TIME
202
Monitoring this, Garrison speaks into a headset.
GARRISON
C2...bring 'em back. Get 'em out of
there!
HARRELL
Roger, return to base.
INT. MCKNIGHT'S HUMVEE - CONT.
McKnight shouts to the wounded men in back.
MCKNIGHT
We're going home. Let's go! Left!
Go, go, go, go, god dammit! Run that
mother fucker over! Go, go, go! Left,
left, left, left, left! We're gonna
be home in a second, we're gonna be
home in a second. Hang on! God dammit,
you guys hang on!
203
INT. EVERSMANN'S POSITION - LATER
203
Galentine throws his radio headset down.
EVERSMANN
What's up?
GALENTINE
They're sending 'em back. The convoy's
headed back to base camp.
Some of the other men hear it and look over to Eversmann.
What now? What does he suggest now?
Oh, now
We need
and get
its too
WADDELL
that makes sense, don't it?
to exfil the wounded now,
the hell outta here before
late!
SMITH
If Colonel McKnight went back to
base, then he had a damn good reason.
It changes nothing.
Right now, some of his men don't seem too convinced.
(CONTINUED)
88.
203
CONTINUED:
203
EVERSMANN
All right, listen up. We're gonna
hold the perimeter. We're gonna hold
the strongpoint. Hooah!
Eversmann looks at each man, into the wide, scared eyes of
Smith, Galentine, Kurth, Goodale, Waddell and Doc Schmid.
MEN
(in unison)
Hooah!
EVERSMANN
Conserve your ammo. Only shoot at
what you can hit. Hooah?
MEN
(in unison)
Hooah!
His men stare out into the city, gripping weapons. Fear
turning to anger, confusion into focus.
EVERSMANN
The convoy's gonna come. We're gonna
get home.
204
EXT. DURANT'S CRASH SITE - DUSK
204
Delta snipers GORDON AND SHUGHART are sprawled out under the
ruined chopper tail, ammo magazines piled beside them.
THEY FIRE at endless targets. Countless AK-47 muzzle flashes
flare from every direction. A living nightmare.
GORDON
Loading.
Gordon slaps in an ammo mag, Shughart covering them.
GORDON'S POV - firing again, he hits EVERYTHING. Militia are
nailed in the head, chest, some targets 100 yeards away.
GORDON
Randy, I need a pistol mag!
Shughart throws Gordon the mag and he loads it.
SHUGHART
Loading.
(CONTINUED)
89.
204
CONTINUED:
204
GORDON FIRES AT MILITIA.
OVERHEAD - THOUSANDS OF SOMALIS edge closer to them -- an
armed, furious mob that will stop at nothing.
Shughart grabs a magazine.
SHUGHART
Loading.
Gordon grabs a magazine. Pile of ammo getting smaller.
ON THE PILE OF MAGAZINES - Gordon reaches for the last one.
GORDON
Randy, last mag!
Crowd of Somalis now charging at them, making suicide runs.
Too many of them.
Gordon takes a bullet in the head.
SHUGHART
Gordy!
Shughart runs in to Gordon.
SHUGHART
Fuck!
205
EXT. DURANT'S CRASH SITE - DUSK
205
Durant is firing his MP-5 at dozens of Somalis. Every time
he fires they disappear behind walls. Shughart scrambles
back to Durant, gives him a CAR-15 rifle. The weapon is
covered in blood. Gordon's.
Shughart touches Durant's shoulder.
SHUGHART
Good luck.
Shughart again crawls under the chopper as -- SOMALIS peer
around the corner. Durant fires at them. Two more gunmen
poke their heads around. Durant fires again.
206
EXT. MOGADISHU STREETS - MOMENTS LATER
206
Hundreds of Somalis race towards the crash site.
207
INT. JOC - LATER
207
Garrison speaks to Cribbs in the subdued JOC.
(CONTINUED)
90.
207
CONTINUED:
207
GARRISON
We need the 10th Mountain in there.
Everything they got. Pakistanis,
Malays, I want their tanks and APCs.
On the monitors, Garrison can see roadblocks going up in the
streets surrounding Wolcott's crash, boxing the Americans
in.
CRIBBS
They still don't know we've gone in.
GARRISON
Look. We have stirred up the hornet's
nest here. We're fighting the entire
city. I want every vehicle possible.
If it has four wheels and armor, get
it! Get everything.
Garrison and Cribbs consult a map of Mogadishu, hostile and
safe areas outlined in red and green.
GARRISON
Now once they've assembled, we need
to move our men out of the hostile
area and back to The Pakistani
stadium, the safe zone. Now let's
go!
CRIBBS
(Cribbs nods -- sounds
good)
Roger that, boss.
Cribbs leaves the room.
INT. DURANT'S BLACK HAWK - CONT.
SOUNDS OF a FRANTIC FUSILLADE echoes from the other side of
the chopper. Shughart's gun roaring. AK-47s firing back.
The SOMALIS charge toward Shughart. Fires a quick burst. The
Somalis fall dead as -- Shughart takes several bullets at
close range.
SOUNDS of the fusillade on the other side of the chopper
continue. Then...the shooting stops.
A strange lull....nothing... then hundreds of Somalis swarm
from either side of the helicopter.
EXT. DURANT'S CRASH SITE - CONT.
A SOMALI pops his head around the corner. Durant fires,
dropping him. Click! The weapon goes dry as Durant runs out
of ammo.
(CONTINUED)
91.
207
CONTINUED: (2)
207
The crowd drags the wounded crew from the chopper, tearing
off clothes, boots.
Durant has time to do one last thing: pulls a snapshot of
his wife and infant child from his flight suit pocket.
Somalis finally see him in the corner. They descend upon
him.
A rifle butt slams into Durant's face, breaking his nose and
the orbital bone of his left eye. He's kicked, spit on,
uniform ripped at, crowd trying to pull him apart.
The photo of his family falls from his grasp. In a haze of
pain, he crawls after the snapshot. A boot stomps on his
hand, photo kicked away.
KRATAKRATAT! Gunfire erupts over the crowd's head. Everything
stops as MO'ALIM hops down from a technical skidding to a
halt, .50 caliber smoking.
A big Somali with him, FIRIMBI, shouts into a megaphone;
FIRIMBI
(in Somali, subtitled)
Back up! Mohamed Farrah Aidid claims
this prisoner alive.
Durant opens his eyes, sees Mo'Alim's elaborate tattoos, his
teeth stained orange and black from khat. As Firimbi again
shouts into the megaphone, Mo'Alim fires his AK-47 over the
crowd's head. Somalis retreat as Durant passes out again.
208
EXT. BASE - DUSK
208
McKnight's convoy arrives, battered and bloody.
McKnight watches his men, many of them injured themselves,
unload the wounded and dead.
Wex is dead. Joyce. Several others.
209
EXT. STREETS - DUSK
209
Struecker's convoy keeps moving but is making little progress;
roadblocks everywhere, constant volleys of gunfire.
HARRELL (V.O.)
See where those tires are burning?
All that black smoke?
(CONTINUED)
92.
209
CONTINUED:
209
STRUECKER
Roger, I can see it, but I can't get
there. Over.
They can see the smoke in the sky, but all the streets leading
there are strategically blocked.
210
INT. MATTHEWS C2 BIRD - SAME TIME
210
HARRELL
Go a hundred meters past it, that's
the crash.
211
INTERCUT TO STRUECKER -
211
STRUECKER
Negative. You don't understand, it's
roadblock after roadblock. You have
to find us another route. Over.
HARRELL (V.O.)
There ain't one. The only other route
is all the way around the city.
STRUECKER
Roger that, we'll take it.
HOOT
(grabs the radio
handset)
Kilo Six Four, this is Kilo One One,
request permission to move to crash
Site number 2 on foot. Over.
As Hoot reloads and waits for an okay, Struecker regards him
like he's nuts. To Struecker -HARRELL (V.O.)
Green light, Kilo One. Green light.
HOOT
Stop the vehicle. Let me out.
Struecker slows. Hoot jumps out. Raps on the side of the
Humvee for a couple of other Delta to join him, including.
Sizemore. The four run down a side street.
212
EXT. MOSQUE TOWER - SUNSET
The voice comes from a loudspeaker mounted on the mosque. An
unseen holy man intoning the evening prayer -
212
93.
213
INT. EVERSMANN'S GROUP - SUNSET
213
Eversmann hears the lone voice, too. Then other voices join
in from mosque loudspeakers elsewhere in the city.
214
EXT. STEELE'S POSITION- SUNSET
214
Steele and his men listen to it in their stable.
Wilkinson adjusts the drip on an IV bag. Fluids slowly drip
into the crew chief's veins. Tries to relax the other dazed
crew chief as he works:
WILKINSON
After I'm finished with this, I'll
whip you boys up some margaritas.
The usual, blended, no salt?
215
INT. EVERSMANN'S GROUP - SUNSET
215
Eversmann's group listens to the evening prayer.
RADIO VOICE (V.O.)
Somebody's always gotta ruin a party,
huh?
KURTH
(in Somali)
Meat pa pa.
Smith throws Kurth his canteen.
216
EXT. OTHER STREET - SUNSET
216
As the voices echo, Sanderson and his group keep moving
through narrow slum streets. He radios Eversmann -SANDERSON
Eversmann, come in. Eversmann.
INTERCUT - with Eversmann, his chalk in strategic positions
outside his Alamo building.
EVERSMANN
Roger. Who is this?
SANDERSON
Sanderson. Do not, I say again, do
not fire to the east. We are coming
to you.
EVERSMANN
(into radio)
Understood.
(CONTINUED)
94.
216
CONTINUED:
216
EVERSMANN
Di Tomasso and his men are on the
southeast corner. We need you on the
northeast building.
SANDERSON
Roger, we'll take it.
EVERSMANN
Hey, watch out for skinnies. They're
all over the rooftops.
Sanderson motions for his men to move forward.
Eversmann turns to his men -EVERSMANN
(quietly)
Hold your fire to the east!
Sanderson's men move towards the northeast building. Grimes
bringing up the rear.
SANDERSON
Follow him! Go, go.
217
EXT. DOWN THE BLOCK - SUNSET
217
Twombly, Nelson and Yurek are sixty yards and across the
street from Eversmann's position. They dash out, the hulking
shape of Wolcott's Black Hawk visible in the intersection.
YUREK
Eversmann. It's Yurek, I got, I got
Nelson and Twombly with me. We got
the chopper in sight. Where are you?
INTERCUT - with Eversmann.
EVERSMANN
We're on the Southwest corner. Where
the hell have you been? Are you okay?
Nelson takes ammo from a dead Somali lying at their feet.
YUREK
Yeah. Hold your fire. We're coming
in.
YUREK
We gotta go.
TWOMBLY
(shouting)
Shawn, Shawn, listen. Sergeant Yurek's
gonna run first.
(CONTINUED)
95.
217
CONTINUED:
217
TWOMBLY
(Yurek's look says, I
am?)
Now when he gets across the street,
he's gonna turn around and he's gonna
cover you as you run. Listen closely when you get there, you're gonna
turn around and you're gonna cover
me. Okay?
Nelson nods, but Twombly isn't really sure he understands.
TWOMBLY
Now you're not just gonna run to
Eversmann's position, you're going
to stop. You're gonna turn around
and you are gonna cover me. It's
important you understand that.
Nelson nods again, but it's even less convincing this time.
Twombly glances to Yurek.
TWOMBLY
Okay, you ready?
YUREK
Yeah, I guess.
Yurek RUNS right through the center of the street.
BACK ON NELSON - getting ready -TWOMBLY
Hey, hey! Don't forget.
NELSON
(shouting)
What?
TWOMBLY
Don't forget.
Nelson can't hear him. Twombly shrugs, Oh, fuck it, go. Nelson
runs. He makes it across the street, turns, sets and covers
Twombly's run perfectly.
ON EVERSMANN - he, Smith, Kurth, Goodale, Galentine and
Waddell watch as Yurek hauls ass.
GALENTINE
I got them in my sights, Sarge.
They're coming up on the west gate.
I see 'em.
EVERSMANN
Let's move out.
(CONTINUED)
96.
217
CONTINUED: (2)
217
YUREK
You gonna cover us Sergeant?
Eversmann radios back.
EVERSMANN
We got ya.
Yurek makes it across to them, turns, sets to cover Nelson.
TWOMBLY
Nelson.
PROVIDING COVER - as Nelson runs across.
Eversmann sees Somali's aiming but it's too late to warn
Twombly, who charges across the courtyard.
EVERSMANN
Fuck!
WHUMP! a Somali bullet hits Twombly in the back, right on
the bandolier of SAW bullets wrapped around him. Three SAW
rounds explode, lighting Twombly up like a human firecracker.
SMITH charges into the swarm of Somali gunfire, out into the
street to get Twombly -SMITH
Twombly!
EVERSMANN
Smith, no!
Smith yanks Twombly to his feet and pulls him along, almost
to Eversmann before -- bullets trace a path up the street, a
round SMACKING into Smith's thigh, blood spraying the street.
Smith goes down.
SMITH
Oh, God, I'm hit!
Eversmann runs past the stumbling Twombly, ducks gunfire as
he grabs Smith, drags him the rest of the way and -INT. - ALAMO HOUSE - CONT.
Inside, where they carry him to a table.
EVERSMANN
One, two, three. You're all right,
you're all right. You're all right.
All right?
(CONTINUED)
97.
217
CONTINUED: (3)
217
Doc Schmid immediately gets to work. Smith moans in pain.
SCHMID
I need pressure on this wound.
Pressure, okay? We're gonna need
more Curlex gauze. I need more men
in here.
EVERSMANN
Twombly! Nelson.
SMITH
Oh man, that really, that really
hurts!
SCHMID
I need that chair, that chair!
Pressure, get that pressure on it.
Okay, let me have a look, let me
have a look. All right, all right.
Let me get a look at that.
Rips Smith's pant leg, is spurted with arterial spray. Blinks
through it to get his kit open. Stuffs Curlex gauze into
Smith's gaping wound.
SMITH
Oh, oh, what the fuck is that?
Eversmann presses it into the wound but it's like trying to
cover a fire hose with a mattress. Schmid shoves more Curlex
at Eversmann as he readies an IV.
SCHMID
Hold that down. I need a medivac
now.
EVERSMANN
Galentine! Galentine, get me Captain
Steele!
218
INT. STABLE - STEELE'S POSITION - LATER
218
Steele kneels down to check on Ruiz.
STEELE
Sergeant, sergeant Ruiz, how're you
doing?
Ruiz is spitting up blood.
RUIZ
They're not gonna come and get us.
They're not gonna come for us.
(CONTINUED)
98.
218
CONTINUED:
218
STEELE
I need you to suck it up Sergeant. I
need you to focus for me. All right,
can you do that? Now, can you hold
your weapon?
RUIZ
Yes sir.
STEELE
If anybody comes through that door,
you give `em two in the chest and
one in the head.
Steele hands Ruiz his weapon.
STEELE
You understand?
RUIZ
I'm still willing to fight, Sir.
STEELE'S RADIO CRACKLES:
EVERSMANN (V.O.)
Captain Steele, Captain Steele,
INTERCUT - with Eversmann.
EVERSMANN
I need a medivac in here now. Corporal
Smith's been hit.
STEELE
Hold on Two Five.
RUIZ
Still willing to fight.
EVERSMANN
Captain Steele, he's hurt pretty
bad.
STEELE (V.O.)
Ah, Two Five, we got wounded too.
You're just gonna have to maintain
your situation, over?
Smith yells in agony.
SCHMID
If he doesn't get to a hospital in a
half-hour, he's in trouble.
(CONTINUED)
99.
218
CONTINUED: (2)
218
STEELE (V.O.)
C-2, this is Six Four. I'm requesting
an immediate medical medivac for a
critically wounded at Chalk Four's
location, over.
219
INT. JOC - SAME TIME
219
HARRELL (V.O.)
Command Chalk Four is requesting
medivac.
GARRISON
We can't risk it. It's still too
hot.
HARRELL (V.O.)
Captain, we can not send in medivac
at this time. Sit tight, over.
220
INT STABLE - STEELE'S POSITION DAY - SAME TIME
220
STEELE'S RESIGNED VOICE:
STEELE
Two Five, this is Six Four. It's a
negative on the medivac. It's not
possible. JOC can not risk another
bird. You're just gonna have to hold
on. Six One out.
Long silence. Eversmann puts the radio back as Smith writhes
in pain.
SCHMID
Put pressure on the wound.
EVERSMANN
Yeah. It's gonna be all right, it's
gonna be okay.
221
EXT. SLUM ALLEYS - NIGHT
Hoot, Sizemore and the Delta men move almost silently, wearing
NODS through the narrow alleyways.
Up ahead they see Durant's downed Black Hawk, figures swarming
over it, dragging off equipment. Hoot comes charging up,
firing over their heads:
HOOT
(in Somali, subtitled)
I think this is mine!
The crowd bolts out of the Black Hawk and down the street.
221
100.
222
INT. DURANT'S BLACK HAWK - LATER
222
No crew inside. Everything that can be ripped from the control
panel is gone.
Hoot sees Gordon's plastic pro-tech helmet, neat hole in the
forehead. Hoot picks it up and holds it for a moment, then
sets it on the console. Stares up at the men, eyes speaking
volumes.
They run from the wreckage and trigger a thermite charge in
the Black Hawk. As they run away, Super Six-Four EXPLODES,
thermite charge lighting up the sky.
223
INT. JOC - SAME TIME
223
The explosion flares on a screen. Garrison and others know
what it means. Their heads aren't bowed, but the atmosphere
in the room is like a funereal. A soldier hands Garrison a
radio.
GARRISON
Cribbs?
INTERCUT TO EXT. OLYMPIC STADIUM - SAME TIME SUPER: SAFE
ZONE - PAKISTANI STADIUM 10TH MOUNTAIN AND U.N. BASE
CRIBBS
Sir, they're still debating the route.
GARRISON (V.O.)
How long?
CRIBBS
At least a couple of hours.
GARRISON
We haven't got that long, Joe.
The rescue convoy is assembling within an enormous soccer
stadium. Pakistani tanks pass Cribbs, who is on the phone as
his Little Bird flies over behind him.
CRIBBS
Pakistani General said since we didn't
deem to inform him of the raid, he's
gonna take as much time as he wants.
(CONTINUED)
101.
223
CONTINUED:
223
GARRISON
(rubs his forehead)
Well you tell the General this: I
understand. But it is my duty to
remind him that my men are surrounded
by thousands of armed Somali militia.
It is imperative that we move them
out of the hostile area and into the
safe zone. I need his help, now.
CRIBBS
Yes sir.
224
INT. HOUSE - NIGHT
224
Durant comes to in a room, lying on a paper-thin mattress,
back propped against the wall. Sees Firimbi, the man from
the crash site with the megaphone, stepping forward. He holds
Durant's dog tags.
FIRIMBI
Durant. Michael Durant.
DURANT
Yes.
FIRIMBI
You are the Ranger who kills my
people?
Durant shakes his head no.
DURANT
I'm not a Ranger. I'm a pilot.
Firimbi offers Durant a cigarette. Durant shakes his head.
FIRIMBI
Huh. That's right. None of you
Americans smoke anymore. You all
live long, dull, uninteresting lives.
Durant tries to move, winces in pain.
DURANT
What do you want with me?
FIRIMBI
You have taken hostages. We have
you.
DURAN
My government will never negotiate
for me.
(CONTINUED)
102.
224
CONTINUED:
224
FIRIMBI
(smiles)
Then perhaps, you and I can negotiate.
Huh? Soldier to soldier...hmm?
Firimbi offers Durant a drink. Durant shakes his head no.
DURANT
I'm not in charge.
FIRIMBI
Course not, you have the power to
kill, but not negotiate. In Somalia,
killing is negotiation. Do you really
think if you get General Aidid, we
will simply put down our weapons and
adopt American Democracy? That the
killing will stop? We know this:
without victory there can be no peace.
There will always be killing, you
see? This is how things are in our
world.
Firimbi tosses Durant his tags and walks out.
225
INT. MOGADISHU - NIGHT
225
A Black Hawk flies over the city.
226
INT. EVERSMANN'S POSITION - NIGHT
226
Eversmann watches Schmid work on Smith.
SCHMID
You gotta take over for me. Both
hands.
Schmid pulls Eversmann aside.
SCHMID
It's the femora artery. I can't see
it. Which means that it's retracted
up into the pelvis. Which means that
I have to find it and clamp it. It's
the only way to stop the bleeding...
I got no more IV's. So, I'm gonna
need you to assist. Okay?
EVERSMANN
Yeah, yeah.
227
INT. EVERSMANN'S POSITION - MOMENTS LATER
CLOSE - on a pair of medical clamps. Eversmann holds the
clamps, he and Doc Schmid kneeling beside Smith.
(CONTINUED)
227
103.
227
CONTINUED:
227
SCHMID
Now listen Jamie, I've gotta do
something, it's going to hurt. Okay?
I gotta cause you more pain, but I
have to do it to help you. All right?
You understand?
SMITH
Give me some morphine.
SCHMID
I can't. It'll lower your heart rate
too far. I'm sorry. Here Twombly,
why don't you take his hands there.
He's already hooked up to two IV bags, needles in both arms.
SCHMID
I need you to hold the wound open,
keep pressure on the top of the leg.
Yurek, you're gonna take the feet
and the flashlight. On my count. All
right, Jamie. All right man.
Schmid looks at Eversmann to ask, ready? Eversmann nods.
SCHMID
One, two, three.
Schmid pulls out the Curlex, releasing the blood flow, then
sticks both hands into the wound and probes for the artery.
Smith wails. Schmid probes around until -SCHMID
Wait, wait, wait. Okay. I feel it. I
feel the pulse.
EVERSMANN
Yeah?
SCHMID
I got it, I got it, I got it, yeah,
I got it. I got it, I got it.
EVERSMANN
You got it? You need these?
SCHMID
Yeah, yeah. Clamp.
EVERSMANN
Yeah, I got it clamped, I got it
clamped.
(CONTINUED)
104.
227
CONTINUED: (2)
227
SCHMID
You got it? You got it? Hold it.
EVERSMANN
Here, grab it. It's tearing.
Schmid pulls the slippery artery into the open. Eversmann
holds the clamp out, but the artery slithers away with a
snap.
SCHMID
Fuck!
EVERSMANN
It's going back in, it's going back
in, it's tearing!
SCHMID
Hold it! Fuck, okay get out, get
out!
EVERSMANN
Okay.
SCHMID
Hold the wound.
EVERSMANN
Okay, okay, I'm holding.
SCHMID
Fuck!
SCHMID
Move your hand.
EVERSMANN
Yeah.
Schmid's hands disappear into the wound again.
Gets the clamp ready, but Schmid can't locate the artery, he
shaking his head in frustration.
EVERSMANN
What?
Smith is passing out. Schmid has to give up the search before
he kills him. His bloody hands come out without the artery.
Angry at himself, he stuffs new Curlex into the wound. Smith's
eyes slit open as he weakly manages:
SMITH
You fix it?
(CONTINUED)
105.
227
CONTINUED: (3)
227
The unused clamp is still in Eversmann's hand.
EVERSMANN
Yeah, man. We got it.
Smith nods, eyes closing, passing out.
228
INT. ROOM - SANDERSON'S BUILDING - NIGHT
228
Grimes is grinding coffee beans.
SANDERSON
What the hell are you doing?
GRIMES
It's all in the grind, Sarge. Can't
be too fine, can't be too coarse.
Grimsey, you are squared away.
Grimes pours a cup of coffee.
229
EXT. DOWN THE STREET - NIGHT
229
Mo'Alim watches his men.
230
INT. ROOM - SANDERSON'S BUILDING - NIGHT
230
Grimes limps over to Sanderson who is sitting on a ratty
couch.
GRIMES
Sarge, how'd you like a nice hot cup
of Joe? Gold coast blend.
SANDERSON
Sit down. Let me take a look at that
foot.
GRIMES
Oh no, it's not a problem.
SANDERSON
Come on, come on, come on.
But Sanderson is already kneeling in front of him, cutting
off the laces Grimes's right boot.
Sanderson finishes cutting, slips the boot off to reveal -a golfball-sized piece of shrapnel sticking out of his foot.
SANDERSON
Oh.
(CONTINUED)
106.
230
CONTINUED:
230
GRIMES
Oh my God. I don't even feel that.
SANDERSON
It cauterized on impact.
(wraps gauze around
it)
If this thing starts to smart, you
let me know, all right? Where the
hell'd they find you?
GRIMES
Behind a desk.
Sanderson laughs.
GRIMES
No, really. You think I'm kidding?
BA-WHOOM! A blast shakes the house, walls rocking.
SANDERSON
Anybody hit?
231
EXT. DOWN THE STREET - NIGHT
231
Mo'Alim shouts at a militia man, who adjusts the angle and
drops another missile in -- PHWOMP it shoots skyward.
232
INT. EVERSMANN'S POSITION - NIGHT
232
Everyone hits the deck as the round whistles in. This time
the house is rocked nearly off its foundation. Part of a
wall collapses. Doc Schmid covers Smith with his body.
EVERSMANN
You all right? Is everybody all right?
Schmid nods his head yes.
233
EXT. DOWN THE STREET - NIGHT
233
BEYOND THE MASSIVE CITY ARCHWAY, Mo'Alim is wearing Russianmade Night Vision goggles. He directs two technicals with
mortars on back, instructing his men to change angles and
fire again.
234
INT. EVERSMANN'S POSITION - NIGHT
The walls shake as another round comes in. Eversmann runs
forward.
EVERSMANN
Incoming!
234
107.
235
EXT. DOWN THE STREET - NIGHT
235
Mo'Alim fires an automatic weapon.
MO'ALIM
(in Somali, subtitled)
Keep firing....faster!
236
EXT. DARKENED STREETS - NIGHT
236
Hoot, Sizemore and one other Delta man move slowly, silently
through the night, NODS on their heads. The sound of staccato
gunfire grows louder as they near Crash Site One.
A RUMBLE - and Hoot motions with hand signals. They creep
forward down the block, guns raised, NODs over their eyes.
They fire again -- and commandeer an RPG gun.
Mo'Alim looks around, as -- CRACK!CRACK! Two more militia drop to the ground. He sees Hoot load a mortar and fire it
directly at him.
Mo'Alim's head rocks backwards. He is dead.
Hoot, Sizemore and two Deltas run forward down the street.
237
EXT. OUTSIDE EVERSMANN'S POSITION - NIGHT
237
HOOT
Ranger here. This is Kilo One One.
238
INTERCUT TO GALENTINE -
238
GALENTINE RADIOS BACK:
GALENTINE
This is Chalk Four, we're at the
Southeast corner of crash site. Who
is this over?
HOOT
We're coming in with three friendlies.
I need some covering fire, over.
GALENTINE - passes the word along, trying not to shout:
GALENTINE
Roger that Kilo One One. Hold your
fire! Deltas coming in.
SOLDIERS
(in unison)
Hold your fire!
(CONTINUED)
108.
238
CONTINUED:
238
ON HOOT - down the block, Sizemore and Delta behind, the
group moving in a rapid crouch, blending with shadows.
Rapid footsteps. Then the Rangers and the Delta Operators
appearing in the night.
239
INT. JOC - LATER
239
Garrison looks at the screens. Says to a man behind him:
GARRISON
Ground personnel will have to mark
target positions with infrared
strobes. Get Little Birds on strafing
runs and keep `em going all night
long.
(stares at the monitors)
If we don't hold back this city,
we'll have a hundred caskets to fill
by morning.
OPERATOR
Yes sir. Colonel Harrell, ground
personnel at Crash Site One will
have to mark the target with infrared
strobes in preparation for air strike.
240
EXT. OLYMPIC STADIUM - NIGHT
240
As the complex logistics of organizing the vehicle Rescue
Convoy continues -McKnight, Struecker, Othic, and a group of Delta Operators
arrive in jeeps. All are blood spattered or wounded from the
ride through hell in the Humvee convoys.
Cribbs approaches as they climb out of the jeeps. Even Thomas,
who didn't want to go before, is with them.
CRIBBS
McKnight! Between the tenth Mountain
and U.N., we got enough personnel,
okay! Danny, you guys do not have to
go back out again.
McKnight looks at Cribbs.
CRIBBS
All right, come on.
241
EXT. OLYMPIC STADIUM - LATER
241
The Rescue Convoy, finally, is about to leave. Humvees,
trucks, tanks, and APCs.
(CONTINUED)
109.
241
CONTINUED:
241
The tank treads grind and begin moving out, followed by the
rest of the trucks.
SUPER
11:23 PM
242
INT. EVERSMANN'S POSITION - NIGHT
242
It's been some time now.
SMITH
I can't die here man.
EVERSMANN
You're not gonna die, all right?
You're not gonna die.
Eversmann is kneeling next to Doc Schmid and Smith.
Eversmann is watching Smith, pale white, eyes glazed.
HE SAYS QUIETLY TO EVERSMANN:
SMITH
I'm sorry.
EVERSMANN
You don't have anything to be sorry
for. You saved Twombly. You did
perfect.
SMITH
(eyes move to Twombly)
You okay, Twombs?
Twombly has wandered over, stares down at Smith. Doesn't
know what to say. Eversmann looks from Twombly to Smith.
TWOMBLY
Yeah, I'm okay, Jamie.
Now the whole room is watching as Smith begins hyperventilating, a sickening wheezing sound echoing off the stone
walls. Smith's eyes start to dart around the room.
EVERSMANN
You did what you were trained to do.
You should be proud of that. Be proud
of that.
Smith nods, teeth chattering.
SMITH
Ev?
(CONTINUED)
110.
242
CONTINUED:
242
EVERSMANN
Yeah?
SMITH
Do me a favor.
EVERSMANN
Yeah?
SMITH
You tell my parents, that I fought
well today. That I... that I... that
I fought hard.
EVERSMANN
You're gonna tell `em yourself, okay?
You hear me?
Smith is shaking uncontrollably.
EVERSMANN
All right?
SMITH
Are the Humvees here?
EVERSMANN
They're coming, Jamie.
SMITH
They're coming.
EVERSMANN
You just gotta hang in there a little
bit. You gotta hold out for just a
little bit, you can do that.
SMITH
I can.
(gasping for breath)
I can do it. This is nothin'.
EVERSMANN
This is nothin'. It's nothin'.
SMITH
This is nothin'.
EVERSMANN
It's nothin'.
SMITH
Okay. Nothin'.
(CONTINUED)
111.
242
CONTINUED: (2)
242
Smith grips Eversmann's bloodstained hand. Eversmann nods.
EVERSMANN
This is nothin'...
Smith's eyes begin to change... a certainty comes into them.
Now he stares somewhere beyond the ceiling Schmid runs forward.
SCHMID
Oh shit! Hold the wound!
The Alamo house is silent, everyone watching as Schmid
administers CPR. Compresses Smith's chest again and again.
After a long time, Eversmann reaches out, stops Schmid.
Doc sits back, covered in blood. Stares down at Smith,
resigned.
EVERSMANN
Oh, God.
243
INT. EVERSMANN'S POSITION -- LATER
243
Slumped against a crumbling wall in the silent house,
Eversmann stares at Smith's body, covered by a tattered
blanket in the center of the room.
Hoot moves to the body, finds Smith's CAR-15 on the ground,
blood-spattered. Hoot picks it up, takes out the magazine.
EVERSMANN
What are you doing?
Hoot doesn't look up as he clicks the rounds out one by one.
HOOT
We need the ammo.
Eversmann watches the Delta soldier pick up the extra rounds.
HOOT
You did all you could here.
Eversmann's gaze again falls to Smith's form under the
blanket.
EVERSMANN
They should've sent a medivac.
(CONTINUED)
112.
243
CONTINUED:
243
HOOT
Well, right now we'd be out there
defending another crashed chopper.
More men would get torn up.
EVERSMANN
Maybe...
Hoot walks over to the wall next to Eversmann.
HOOT
So you're thinking. Don't.
(beat)
Cause Sergeant, you can't control
who gets hit, or who doesn't. Who
falls out of a chopper, or why. It
ain't up to you. It's just war.
EVERSMANN
(nods, he knows, but)
Smith is still dead. If Blackburn
wouldn't fallen none of this woulda
happened -HOOT
(stares at him)
Listen -- should have or could have -it don't matter; You'll get plenty
of time to think about all that later.
Believe me.
Hoot looks at Eversmann.
HOOT
Sergeant. You got your men this far.
You did it right today...
(Eversmann glances up
at him)
You need to start thinking about
getting these men out of here.
Hoot looks up.
HOOT
Well, shall we?
244
INT. EVERSMANN'S POSITION - LATER
Gunfire erupts around them. The men rush out to defend their
position.
EVERSMANN
I need four guns on this corner,
now!
244
113.
245
INT. /EXT. WOOD'S LITTLE BIRD / CHASE SITE -- NIGHT
245
As Wood brings the Little Bird in low, there are suddenly
countless dots of light surrounding the entire perimeter of
the area, from the streets and rooftops ringing the court
yard -- all firing at him.
He sees THOUSANDS of glowing Somali bodies, ghostly,
innumerable on his infra -- red monitor.
ADJOINING ROOFTOPS - more than two-hundred beat signatures
of Somali bodies charge across rooftops, coming toward the
chalks in a great wave, leaping from roof to roof.
OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE STREET - three hundred Somalis move to
get in position to fire down at the chalks. Somalis climb up
staircases, ladders, appearing on rooftops like angry insects.
WOOD
Jesus Christ! Look at that.
Wood pilots a nimble Little Bird over the crash site. Sees
nothing but dark forms around buildings and a blur of wrecked
metal below as he shrieks past.
246
INTERCUT TO EVERSMANN -
246
EVERSMANN
This is Two Five. I can see you,
you're right above me.
WOOD
Eversmann, I can't tell who's who
down there. Too much activity.
INT. JOINT OPERATIONS CENTER - CONT.
ON A MONITOR - infrared figures of Rangers hiding in buildings
around the crash site illuminate the video screens: white
blobs, like something out of a low -- tech video game.
247
INTERCUT TO EVERSMANN -
247
EVERSMANN
I'll mark the target with a strobe,
over?
WOOD
Roger that.
248
EXT. EVERSMANN'S POSITION - NIGHT
Eversmann throws a strobe. It does not fire.
248
114.
249
INT. WOOD'S LITTLE BIRD - SAME TIME
249
Wood looks for the strobe to flash.
EVERSMANN (V.O.)
See it?
WOOD
Nah, I can't see shit.
250
INTERCUT TO EVERSMANN -
250
Eversmann is at the radio, Galentine shaking his bead, no.
EVERSMANN
I'm puttin' it on the roof.
Eversmann begins gathering the IR strobes. Hoot says:
HOOT
You're gonna need some help.
EVERSMANN
Cover me.
HOOT
Okay guys, we're gonna lay down some
cover fire for him on three. Ready?
One, two, three, go!
His chalk finishes reloading and sets to cover him. He looks
at them. Ready? Is he? Yes. Whup-whup-whup -- Wood's Little
Bird howls overhead. Somalis FIRING as -251
EXT. CRASH SITE -- NIGHT
251
-- Eversmann sprints from the Somali building into the
shooting range of the street, bullets tracking him -- a
hellstorm, Eversmann right in the middle of it.
Eversmann tosses the strobe on the roof.
252
INT. WOOD'S LITTLE BIRD
252
Wood sees the strobe flash through his NOD.
WOOD
I got your position, I got the target.
We're inbound and hot.
RPG explode outside the bird, lighting up the sky and rocking
the craft. Wood hits the trigger on the flight stick.
(CONTINUED)
115.
252
CONTINUED:
252
His miniguns blaze strobelight-death across the rooftops.
Somali heat signatures scatter under the withering fire of
the swift chopper's deadly arsenal.
EVERSMANN - Finished, prepares for the final run back to the
Alamo building.
The street echoes with the roar of weapons as Eversmann leaps
inside to safety.
Figures fire their weapons down the block toward the crash
site.
The Little Birds turn to make another pass.
WOOD
Ya'll keep your heads down. We're
coming back around.
253
INT. JOC - SAME TIME
253
Garrison watches the screen. Steele's voice comes in through
the radio.
254
INT. STEELE'S STABLE COURTYARD - NIGHT
254
255
STEELE RADIOS IN -
255
STEELE
Six Two, this is Six Four. Where the
hell's the convoy? Over.
HARRELL (V.O.)
Half a block from your location,
hang in there.
256
EXT. EVERSMANN'S POSITION - NIGHT
An RPG slams into the wall, rocking the building.
EVERSMANN
Shit!
The Little Bird again shrieks past his building, miniguns
rumbling.
Bullets ZING over their heads, blasting walls inside the
house. Somali fire increases, web tightening. Chalk Four
returns fire, guns raging through the night.
Thousands of muzzle flashes rain from rooftops, windows and
doorways of the buildings across the street. Somali bullets
SMACK! and CRACK! all around them.
256
116.
257
INT. JOC - SAME TIME
257
Wood's voice comes over the command net.
WOOD (V.O.)
C2, miniguns dry. Returning to base.
COLONEL MATTHEWS (V.O.)
Roger that. Second team inbound.
Your station. On your location, four
minutes.
ON SCREEN - as the chopper passes, smoke rises from the crash
site.
258
INT. STEELE'S POSITION - LATER
258
THE RESCUE CONVOY - rumbling down the block. .50 cals roaring
from atop Humvees. Somalis are blown back into buildings by
the dozen.
The massive convoy reduces Somali positions into dust, entire
buildings crumbling like saltine crackers. Dark figures
continue to fall. Somali muzzle flashes dissipate...
Captain Steele steps from the stable doorway and shakes hands
with Colonel McKnight.
CAPTAIN STEELE
Captain Steele here, Colonel!
MCKNIGHT
Get your men loaded up Captain. We're
gettin' the hell outta here.
CAPTAIN STEELE
Yes, sir! All right, let's go. Be
careful with the wounded.
STEELE GRABS THE RADIO:
STEELE
Two Five, this is Six Four, the rescue
column has arrived and will be at
your location in about ten minutes.
Prepare your men for exfil Sergeant.
259
INT. EVERSMANN'S POSITION - NIGHT
259
Eversmann closes his eyes and nods.
STEELE (V.O.)
Six Four out.
(CONTINUED)
117.
259
CONTINUED:
259
EVERSMANN
Yeah, Roger that, sir. Roger that!
STEELE (V.O.)
All right, let's move it!
EVERSMANN
Ten minutes! The convoy's gonna be
here in ten minutes!
His Rangers breathe a collective sigh of relief.
260
INT. EVERSMANN'S POSITION - LATER
260
Kurth, Waddell, and Galentine are covering their position,
weapons aimed out the doorway and firing into the night.
KURTH
Eversmann, I'm out!
EVERSMANN
This is my last one!
SUPER
02:05 AM
Eversmann goes to the door and stares at the incredible sight
of the convoy, so long he can't see the end of it. He shouts
over his shoulder:
EVERSMANN
The convoy's here!
Random gunfire that comes from Somali houses are met with
the full wrath of the U.S. Mountain Division as -Eversmann sees McKnight striding alongside the lead Humvee,
ignoring random Somali gunfire as if it doesn't exist.
MCKNIGHT
Sergeant Eversmann?
EVERSMANN
Yes, sir!
McKnight sees him in the darkness. Walks toward him, hand
outstretched.
MCKNIGHT
Heard you guys needed a lift.
EVERSMANN
(can't help smiling)
Yes, sir.
(CONTINUED)
118.
260
CONTINUED:
260
And he shakes the Colonel's outstretched hand.
MCKNIGHT
Bring you wounded right over there!
261
INT. WOLCOTT'S BLACK HAWK - DAWN
261
A Ranger takes a saw and cuts through the metal of Wolcott's
Black Hawk.
262
EXT. SANDERSON'S POSITION - NIGHT
262
Sanderson watches Grimes hobble to the doorway and goes to
assist.
SANDERSON
Hey, I got ya!
Grimes smiles through the pain, hobbling on his bad foot
toward the waiting APC.
GRIMES
It's okay. I wanna walk.
SANDERSON
(lets Grimes go)
You sure? Go!
Sanderson watches Grimes run into the APC under his own power.
263
EXT. WOLCOTT'S BLACK HAWK - NIGHT
263
The saws are still at work.
264
EXT. EVERSMANN'S POSITION NIGHT
264
Eversmann and Doc Schmid carry Smith's body, covered with a
sheet, out into the night. Load it into an APC. Hoot covers
them, watching the rooftops, windows. Ever vigilant.
265
EXT. WOLCOTT'S BLACK HAWK - NIGHT
265
RANGER
I got him. One, two, three.
Wilkinson and Fales are helped by dozens of Rangers as they
carefully pass the wounded Warren and Dowdy out of the ruined
helicopter.
266
INT. LEAD APC - NIGHT
266
Cribbs speaks to the Pakistani drivers.
(CONTINUED)
119.
266
CONTINUED:
266
CRIBBS
Get the pilots' bodies out, then we
go to the stadium.
Behind Cribbs, soldiers load the many wounded and dead into
vehicles. Groaning men are piled onto one another in the
cramped APCs. Humvees are packed full.
NEAR THE FOUNTAIN: Cribbs walks up to McKnight, Steele,
Eversmann, Hoot and SANDERSON.
CRIBBS
We're running out of room already.
MCKNIGHT
We're just gonna have to cram 'em in
to every possible space.
CRIBBS
Okay. Tenth Mountain will provide
security for armor, walks us out of
the hot zone -STEELE
(disdain on his face)
Tenth Mountain? No, Sir, with
respect, my Rangers can provide rear
security. We'll walk you out of the
hot zone, and then we'll jump on the
last few vehicles.
Cribbs looks at the battle weary faces before him.
CRIBBS
Okay, let's get out of here.
STEELE
Let's go!
267
INT. APC - DAWN
Inside the coffin-like APC, Grimes pounds on the driver's
partition as bullets PING off the metal hull.
GRIMES
Come on! These things are fucking
bullet magnets! Come on, let's go!
PAKISTANI DRIVER
We go when I'm ordered to, soldier.
267
120.
268
EXT. WOLCOTT'S BLACK HAWK - DAWN
268
They start on Wolcott.
RANGER
Easy, go easy. Easy. Go easy.
A Ranger shines a light on Wolcott's buried legs. It's
hopeless.
269
INT. JOC - DAY
269
He stares at the screen. Garrison can see Somalis again
massing around three streets, choking off the convoy's exits.
GARRISON
Colonel, what is going on down there?
INTERCUT to McKnight on radio -MCKNIGHT
They're dismantling the entire cockpit
around the body.
GARRISON (V.O.)
Well how long's it gonna take? I
need an honest, no shit assessment.
There's a pause as McKnight relays the question. Then -MCKNIGHT
They can't say.
270
INTERCUT TO GARRISON. HE ENDURES AS LONG AS HE CAN THE
FLARES ON THE SCREEN HE KNOWS ARE RPGS. EVENTUALLY, INTO HIS
MIC GARRISON
Danny, no one gets left behind.
INTERCUT to McKnight -GARRISON (V.O.)
You understand me, son?
INTERCUT to McKnight. No response.
GARRISON
Danny?
INTERCUT to Garrison. Finally --
(CONTINUED)
270
121.
270
CONTINUED:
270
MCKNIGHT (V.O.)
Yes, General.
GARRISON
You do what you have to do.
MCKNIGHT
Roger.
271
EXT. WOLCOTT'S BLACK HAWK - MORNING
271
Briley's body is carried away from the Black Hawk
SUPER
5:45 A.M. - Monday, October 4 Gunfire
rains down on the men.
MCKNIGHT
Let's go! Let's move out!
The convoy starts to roll out. Rangers follow on foot.
272
EXT. WOLCOTT'S BLACK HAWK - SAME TIME
272
Hoot sets explosives in the now-deserted cockpit. Runs to
the leaving convoy as the charges are detonated.
273
EXT. CHASE SITE - DAWN
273
The convoy is picking up speed, the Mountain soldiers
scrambling to get aboard Humvees and APCs as Eversmann,
Sanderson, and the other Rangers and Delta cover them.
274
EXT. CRASH SITE - DAWN
274
After the last of the APCs pass, Eversmann and the other
Rangers and Delta try to get aboard. EVERY VEHICLE is crammed
full, some men hanging out open doors, some lying on hoods.
No one stops for them. Steele runs alongside the APC, pounding
on the metal -STEELE
Open up the hatch! We got men back
here!
PAKISTANI DRIVER
No room here, go on the roof.
SANDERSON
What's going on?
(CONTINUED)
122.
274
CONTINUED:
274
STEELE
The roof?
TWOMBLY
I'm not getting on the fucking roof!
SANDERSON
No, no, no, it's full!
The Pakistani driver shouts.
Steele shuts the door. There are no more vehicles to chase
after.
SANDERSON
Let's just go, let's just go!
The convoy pulls out and the men follow on foot.
275
EXT. BACK AT THE SOMALI BUILDING - DAWN
275
The city is bathed in orange light. Eversmann, Hoot, Steele,
Sanderson, Twombly, Sizemore, Nelson, Yurek, Kurth, Waddell,
Galentine and Doc Schmid are running down the streets after
the convoy, unable to catch up with the vehicles.
They watch helplessly as the convoy disappears down the block.
Their tired, rubbery legs carry them away from the crash
site, into the dense, dangerous streets of surrounding
neighborhoods.
276
EXT. MOGADISHU STREETS - MORNING
276
The group of soldiers are now running along the same streets
they battled over the day before.
The men are exhausted, gasping for air as they charge down
the crooked, dirty roads. Legs like lead weights.
KRATAKRATAKRAT! Machine-gun fire rakes the road ahead. The
group runs for cover, trying not to get pinned in.
277
EXT. K-4 CIRCLE - MORNING
277
The Rescue Convoy rumbles, stretching back a quarter mile.
The sound of the vehicles shakes the very earth. An older
Somali man carries a dead child and crosses in front of the
convoy.
278
EXT. MOGADISHU STREETS - MORNING
278
The group runs down the street. Gasping. They can see the
convoy disappearing around a corner.
(CONTINUED)
123.
278
CONTINUED:
278
Sanderson and Hoot FIRE down the intersection, killing three
Somali snipers. Steele, Eversmann and others charge across.
On the other side, the Rangers cover Delta Hoot and Sanderson.
The Delta Operators charge across to safety.
They use this tactic at every intersection. Somali gunfire
getting more intense. The men see the APCs, distant blocks
ahead, rounding a corner.
279
EXT. THE CORNER - MORNING
279
Sanderson charges up from behind, bullets following him.
THEY RUN out into the street as -- A WOMAN with a child in
her arms dashes out in front of them, hurrying across the
street. Waddell almost fires on instinct.
WADDELL
Get down, get outta here!
The woman runs to the other side of the street.
Sanderson runs over to Eversmann.
EVERSMANN
I'm out of ammo! Sanderson, I'm out
of ammo!
Sanderson continues to fire.
Another woman runs forward, Kurth raises his weapon to fire.
YUREK
What are you doing?
KURTH
I'm doing it.
The woman RAISES A HANDGUN -- Kurth fires and she falls dead.
280
EXT. MOGADISHU STREETS - MORNING
The group runs down the street, bullets whizzing past.
The men charge down the block on wobbly legs, running through
the smoke. People line the streets, cheering them on.
They run into the safety of THE SOCCER STADIUM.
280
124.
281
INT. OLYMPIC STADIUM
281
The entrance is in sight. Doctors are inside, white tables
and sheets and water and safety and food and shelter and Eversmann makes it. Hoot, Sanderson, Steele, and the others
charge in after him.
They stare at the makeshift medical tents that have been set
up. Watching a Medic directing the seriously wounded to one
area, dead to another as UN workers bring them glasses of water.
Nelson and Twombly embrace.
Eversmann staggers forward.
282
EXT. STADIUM - MORNING
282
BEHIND THEM - Colonel McKnight gets his neck wound looked
at.
MCKNIGHT
Ah, shit.
MEDIC
The bullet missed your jugular by
about three millimeters. Don't move!
MCKNIGHT
All right, all right. Hurry up, hurry
up!
BEHIND HIM - Grimes, covered in white dust, rests on a litter.
Sanderson walks over to him and hands him a cup.
GRIMES
Little short on coffee, but I got
you some tea. How you doing soldier?
RANGER
I can't feel a thing.
283
INT. THE MEDICAL WARD - OPERATING ROOM - DAY
Garrison, standing by the door, has come into the chaos that
is the medical tent, watching. Somebody shouts,"... mop..."
And we see doctors and medics working over a man, the man
bleeding profusely, the doctors and the medics literally
slipping in his blood on the floor... And Garrison seeing a
mop nearby takes it up, and doing his duty, mops the bloody
floor... And as Garrison mops the bloody floor the doctors
and the medics are trying to save his men's lives...
283
125.
284
INT. THE MEDICAL WARD - LATER
284
Steele moves through the tent... men in various conditions...
none of it good... He comes to Ruiz. The medic shakes his
head no.
STEELE
Hey son, hey.
Ruiz opens his eyes.
RUIZ
Captain.
STEELE
Lorenzo? How're you doing?
RUIZ
I went in and out. Medic says I should
be okay in a couple of days.
STEELE
That's great news.
RUIZ
Are we going after them?
STEELE
You bet your ass we will. We gotta
regroup.
RUIZ
Don't go out there without me. Don't
go back out there without me. I can
still do my job.
Steele puts his hand on Ruiz' face.
STEELE
Now you get some rest now.
285
EXT. STADIUM - MORNING
285
Eversmann comes over to Hoot, who is picking through
supplies... resupplying himself. Hoot goes about his
business... taping grenade pins one after another after
another... Calmly, efficiently...
EVERSMANN
(incredibly)
You're going back in?
(CONTINUED)
126.
285
CONTINUED:
285
HOOT
(nods, matter of fact)
There's still men out there... God
damn!
He stops resupplying and picks up a plate and eats.
HOOT
When I go home... and people ask me,
hey Hoot? Why do you do it man? Why?
You some kind of war junkie? I won't
say a god damned word. Why? Because
they won't understand... They won't
understand why we do it. They won't
understand, it's about the men next
to you... and that's it... that's
all it is.
Eversmann does know... and starts to resupply himself. Hoot
shakes his head no.
HOOT
Hey. Don't even think about it, all
right? I'm better on my own.
And fully resupplied Hoot simply starts off... Eversmann
watches Hoot walk away... And Hoot suddenly slows,
realizing... shouting back...
HOOT
(congratulations)
Hey! We started a whole new week...
it's Monday.
And as he moves off... just another soldier, one of the dog's
of war...
286
EXT. WOLCOTT'S BLACK HAWK - DAY
Kids play on the downed helicopter.
EVERSMANN (V.O.)
I was talking to Blackburn the other
day, and he asked me, "You know what
changed? Why are we going home?"
And I said, "Nothing..." But that's
not true, you know? I think
everything's changed. I know I've
changed...
286
127.
287
INT. A STORAGE ROOM - LATE DAY
Fluorescent lights... too bright.. too constant... a cooler's
humming... it kicks off and then on again...and we see
EVERSMANN... And he's clean... just some nicks and cuts,
band-aid pieces over some small wounds... but there are other
wounds, the kind you can't see at first glance...a soldier
who's been in combat... a look in a young man's eyes... a
look that makes you stop and take a deeper look... into his
soul... and that's just what we do... looking at his face...
into his eyes...into the window of his soul... as he's talking
to someone... easy, conversational... nothing out of the
ordinary...
EVERSMANN
You know, a friend of mine asked me
before I got here, it was when we
were all shipping out. He asked me...
"Why are you going to fight somebody
else's war? What do ya'll think,
you're heros...?"
He laughs at the idea...
EVERSMANN
I didn't know what to say at the
time, but... if he asks me again...I'd
say...No. I'd say there's no way in
hell...nobody asks to be a hero...it
just sometimes turns out that way...
And for the first time we see he's been talking to a familiar
man, lying motionless on a stretcher...
And Eversmann, needing to make a final connection touches
Smith's chest... a hero's heart... another somebody who didn't
ask to be a hero..
EVERSMANN
(simply)
I'm gonna talk to your ma and pa
when I get home, okay?
And we see there are other men on stretchers, other young
men who left a piece of their hearts behind..
And he turns and leaves...the lights forever on...the cooler
humming... the boys going home men...
287
128.
288
INT. AIRPLANE CARGO BAY - LATE IN THE DAY
288
The cargo bay door closes on the empty cargo bay.
FADE TO BLACK...
LEGEND #1: During the raid over 1000 Somalis died and 19
American soldiers lost their lives.
CWO Donovan Briley Staff Sgt. Daniel Busch Spec. James Cavaco
Staff Sgt. William Cleveland Staff Sgt. Thomas Field Sgt.
First Class Earl Fillmore CWO Raymond Frank Master Sgt. Gary
Gordon Sgt. Cornell Houston Sgt. Casey Joyce Pfc. Richard
Kowalewski Pfc. James Martin Master Sgt. Tim `Griz' Martin
Sgt. Dominick Pilla Sgt. First Class Matt Rierson Sgt. Lorenzo
Ruiz Sgt. First Class Randy Shughart Cpl. Jamie Smith CWO
Cliff `Elvis' Wolcott
RUIZ (V.O.)
My love, you're strong and you'll do
well in life. I love you and my
children deeply. Today and tomorrow,
with each day, grow and grow. Keep
smiling and never give up, even when
things get you down. So in closing
my love, tonight, tuck my children
in bed warmly. Tell them I love them.
Then, hug them for me and, give them
both a kiss good night for Daddy.
Legend #2: Delta Sgts. Gary Gordon and Randy Shughart were
the first soldiers to receive the medal of honor posthumously
since the Vietnam War.
Michael Durant was released after 11 days of captivity.
Two weeks later, President Clinton withdrew Delta Force and
The Rangers from Somalia.
Legend #3 Major General William F. Garrison accepted full
responsibility for the outcome of the raid.
On August 2, 1996, Warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid was killed
in Mogadishu. The following day, General Garrison retired.